At Last, I Have You
by idolgaming
Summary: With yet another Iron Fist Tournament coming to a close, now is the perfect time for Jin and Xiaoyu ascertain their relationship; but who will take the first step and make that confession? Please review!
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

"This is the life," Miharu Hirano pronounced whilst lying across a lounger by the pool. She wore a skimpy rainbow bikini and dark shades and caused an unusually large volume of men to walk on her side of the pool. Her body was blackened in places with ugly bruises as a result of the second Tag Tournament, and she regarded them with a terse thought as she oiled her pale body with sun-cream. "Nothing like relaxing after a good competition."

Ling Xiaoyu was on the lounger next to her in a simple white bikini, her liquid obsidian hair tied back in a simple ponytail, her eyes hooded by sunglasses as she enjoyed the dry heat and occasional splashes of water from people in the pool.

"Refill, ladies?" A male server slid surreptitiously by their side to remove their drinks.

"Erm," Miharu glanced at her friend before answering with a thumbs-up. "Yes, please—but can I have a Pina Colada instead?"

The server waited for Ling Xiaoyu, but after receiving no acknowledgement he disappeared, assuming she wanted another Sex on the Beach.

"Will you cheer up?" Miharu sat up and slid her legs off the lounger. "It's depressing watching the way you pine after him."

"I'm not pining." Xiaoyu snapped, with the first animated signs of life that hour. "I'm annoyed."

The brunette stood, tying her sarong around her hips. Her hair was loose and still damp around her shoulders from an earlier dip in the pool. The scorching sun felt good on her skin, a sensual caress as the server returned back with their drinks. She stared down at her friend, her misery evident from the thin, stern line on her pink lips.

"He does you no good." She said, dipping down into Xiaoyu's bag and dropping a book on her toned stomach. "Read this. Take your mind off of him."

Then, Miharu disappeared as she headed over to the pool bar where some of the other contestants were.

"If only it were that easy." Xiaoyu groused, picking her easy reader and shoving it back in her bag despondently.

Her week had been filled with Jin Kazama; she'd worked alongside him, she'd been swept up off her feet by him—true, because she'd fallen over in front of him—and now the tag tournament had come to a conclusion, there was nothing. Yet she needed more. She wanted more. Secretly she wondered if she should go up to his room like Miharu had suggested and say nothing but a simple hello—a simple hello without the praying eyes of the media or other contestants. Alas, she wasn't as strong as her fighting style suggested, and instead she chose to seethe by the pool from his lack of contact.

Her gaze raked the other loungers and cabanas through the pink tint of her sunglasses. The private resort was packed with competition fighters, tournament staff and their families. Many were attractive enough to warrant a second and third glance. It was lovely to see much a multi-diverse group of people relaxing and laughing with one another after such an intense week; the rivalries simmered down from the boiling pot they had once been, some more glorified and amplified to please the public, although for some genuine circumstances, it lay present underneath the smiles and laughter.

One couple in particular caught Xiaoyu's eye as she let them roam, because they reminded her of what she and Jin could be like. They were staff from the tournament, she surmised by their anonymity. The dark haired woman lay on her stomach, her upper half propped up by her arms and her legs kicked back playfully. Beside her, her gorgeous, tanned boyfriend stretched out on the lounger beside her, his head propped on one hand whilst the other stroked up and down her spine.

Exhaling harshly, Xiaoyu forced herself to sit up and ty her own sarong around her ridiculously slim waist. Then after another scan, she headed over to the bar where Miharu was engaged in conversation with Hwoarang.

"Finally," The auburn haired Korean said with a smile as he saw her approaching, "I thought it was personal."

Xiaoyu sipped her cocktail through its straw and shook her head.

"She's pining." Miharu offered with a sympathetic sigh.

Hwoarang groaned. "Again?"

"I am _NOT_ pining!" Xiaoyu insisted vehemently with the straw still in her mouth. Secretly she was reeling with embarrassment that her longlining for a relationship with the Japanese man was being discussed with his rival of two years. "I am simply mad. Nothing more, nothing less."

The man snored unceremoniously "I call bullshit."

"Thank you." Miharu exclaimed triumphantly, as though that would make her friend see. "I've told her to find him if she wants to see him that badly. There's no way he'll come out here, especially with all these people around. You know what he's like."

"An idiot?" Hwoarang offered as she gaze Xiaoyu and her bikini an appreciative glance. "If a girl wanted to throw herself at me—I'd let her. You damn right I'd let her."

Xiaoyu ignored them as they openly appraised her relationship with Jin. She took the empty chair in front of her by the bar and sipped the rest of her cocktail whilst staring at the food menu, tempted to order a margarita pizza and fries. Finishing the cocktail, she placed it down on the bar and slid it in front of her, deciding to be good and not overload with carbohydrates.

"What are you drinking?"

Turning her head, she looked at the man who had spoken to her. She recognised him as Christie Monteiro's make-up artist, though she didn't know his name. "I'm not sure."

"Well why don't I come over and look at the menu with you?" He smiled, revealing a perfect white yet crooked smile. "Then I can buy you a drink?"

She watched him under the shelter of her sunglasses, her expression carefully schooled to give nothing away. He brought the hairs on her arms to stand with a cool shiver as he stared at her for a little too long.

"I'm…good, thank you." She declined, sliding off the bar stool.

Turning back to Miharu and Hwoarang, she could see the pair standing with supressed laughter as she caught their eyes. Glowering at them both, she ignored them and stalked back over to her lounger, absolutely certain she was in a foul mood and nothing would snap her out of it.

"Come on, Xiaoyu." A teasing voice turned her head.

Christie Monteiro lay supine across one of the loungers in a skimpy bikini. Her smile was friendly and her tone filled with laughter. The brunette lifted her sunglasses from her eyes. "What is with the face? Michael won't bite. He's harmless, really."

"He looks like he is in his forties." Xiaoyu offered with her tongue poking out.

"Thirty-six," She qualified with a laugh. "but I won't tell him you said that."

"I don't care." The Chinese girl rolled her shoulders.

Christie frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Come on." The Brazilian patted the vacant chair beside her. "Talk to me."

Resigned to talk, Xiaoyu perched on the edge of the lounger and rested her hands on her knees. Yet she didn't talk. Her gaze returned back to the couple who had migrated into the pool and were planting one another tender kisses as he carried her through the water.

"Is it Jin?" Christie offered with a warm hand on her elbow.

"Why are men so difficult?" Xiaoyu asked bitterly, turning her gaze away from the couple. "Why do they leave you guessing, or even unsure if your guessing is guessing?"

The brunette blew a strand of wayward hair off her face and leaned back on her elbows, casting her gaze up to the clear blue sky. "I'm sure men will say something of similar effect about women." She tipped her gaze back down to the teen. "What are you unsure of?"

" _Him_." Xiaoyu tossed her hands in the arm with frustration. "This week he has been all, ' _Xiao_!' ' _Are you alright, Xiao_?', ' _Xiao_ ', ' _Xiao_ '—stupid Xiao—and now, and now it's ended, and where is he? Gone."

"Well…" Christine bit her lip. Their relationship was something she could only speculate on. It did appear like they were close, and that he did care for her, but it wasn't beyond him to sweep into the tournament and disappear just as easily. "Perhaps the Unknown has shaken him? Maybe that's why you haven't seen him this time. It was cruel whoever did that."

The entity of Unknown, personified as Jun Kazama. To say it had knocked Jin off his game was an understatement. The desperation and longing from such a stoical man was devastating to watch.

"Why don't you see if he is still checked-in to the hotel?" Christie gestured to the huge complex. "Then you two can have a good one-to-one chat without everyone else watching and listening in? I think you'll be waiting a long time if you expect him to come out here and find you."

"Mhm."

Christie reached across and rubbed her arm. "You know as well as I do that he does not display any sort of outward emotion—how can he with Kazuya and Heihachi? The moment we all leave this place and normal life resumes, they'll be after him."

"I know." Xiaoyu sighed softly.

"So I wouldn't wait for any grand gestures. If you want something from him, you'll have to go up and take it from him." Christie took a fortifying sip of her condensation-wet cocktail and shook the excess moisture off her fingers as she placed it back down on the table beside her. "You never know, he might expect you to instigate the first move."

"You think?"

"Sure. Some people who dominate in their everyday life don't want the hassle in their personal life."

Xiaoyu tipped her head back up to the hotel and its impressive vista. "You think?"

"Yeah. Go get him." Christie offered spiritedly. "I promise I won't say anything if anyone asks. It's about time you two sorted your shit out."

Trembling at the prospect, the 5'2 teen rose from the lounger and offered Christie a nervous smile.

"You'll be fine." The brunette said firmly, sensing her growing anxiety. "You need to do this. You need to know. Then you can stop torturing yourself."

Xiaoyu fastened her sarong even tighter around her waist to busy her quivering hands. She could feel a mist of sweat that had nothing to do with the sun dampen her forehead. Turning to the marble archway leading back into the hotel, she willed herself to take the first step forward.

"…you're not going, are you?"

"I will!" Xiaoyu said, her arms akimbo. "I am just gathering my strength, my resolve—"

"You want me to come with you, don't you?" Christie drawled.

"Please!"

The shade of the hotel was refreshingly cool and both teens groaned at the relief it offered as they stepped inside with their flip-flops clattering against the flooring. Xiaoyu had opted to wear a loose pastel blue dress over her bikini to adhere to the hotel policy whilst Christie traversed the corridor with her cheerfully, offering white smiles to all who stared at her.

"I am going to miss being fed four times a day." She said wistfully as they passed a member of staff pushing a dirty room service server. "I don't want to know how much weight I've gained this last week."

Xiaoyu threw her a dirty look as she looked at the nineteen year olds curvaceous and toned figure.

They were close to reception, when Xiaoyu veered off to the bank of elevators and jabbed the call button.

"I know what room he's in." She offered as Christie arched her brow.

"Stalker."

"From the tournament." Xiaoyu qualified loudly as Paul Marshall strolled passed. "Not because I'm some crazy super-fan."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Xiaoyu pressed for one of the higher floors and waited as the doors drew to a close.

"You know, I had the hotel accidentally send me some fan mail earlier this week." Christie said conversationally as the elevator began its descent. "Which turned out to be a love letter asking me to elope in Scotland with him with an quite impressive dick-pic attached. Why you want to get that pierced, I have no idea."

Xiaoyu sagged against the brass railing, gripping it with white-knuckle force as white spots danced in front of her eyes. A wave of nausea rolled her stomach as the floors increased. A black ring encroached her vision as the elevator came to a stop.

"Oh my god." She breathed shakily as the doors opened, revealing an opulent corridor reserved for special guests.

"Xiaoyu?" Christie frowned as the Chinese girl paled, her trembling grip unwilling to release the railing. "Are you okay?"

"I can't. This is too real."

"Yes, you can." The Brazilian encouraged happily, prying the younger teens hands from the brass. "You're here, and you're going to do this."

"What if he says no?" Xiaoyu said with wide, worried eyes as they stepped off the elevator. "Then it'll be awkward, forever. I'll irrevocably blurred the friendship line into something we can't come back from. I'll never get to see him again."

"Nonsense." Christie said cheerfully, leading her by the wrist along the corridor. "I'm usually good at this, and you two are meant to be. I can feel it."

"I wish I shared your optimism." Xiaoyu complained.

She stopped outside the oak door of the room farthest left and Christie followed. Before knocking, the brunette took Xiaoyu in her arms and inspected her.

"Perfect."

"I look a mess."

"He has seen you looking worse." Christie said with a wry smile. "How many times have you tripped up in front of him this week? How many times have you been a perspiring, red-faced mess with your hair everywhere? If he can't handle you looking like a fighter you are then he doesn't deserve you."

The Brazilian swung Xiaoyu back round to face the door and took even steps back. "I'm going to go, okay?"

"Mhm."

"Xiaoyu?"

She looked at Christie as she walked backwards down the corridor offering a thumbs-up.

"You'll be fine." Her friend pressed for the elevator and the doors parted for her. "Good luck."

Then, she was alone.

Xiaoyu stared up at the polished wooden door for what seemed like eternity. Her palms were clammy and her mouth was dry. Scowling to herself at her inability to act, she thrust her fist up to the door and knocked as brazen as she dared three times. Adrenaline flooded her system, sending her heart into a palpitation-like frenzy as she fought the urge to turn tail and dash down the corridor before he opened the door. Then, she realised he wasn't answering. There were no signs of life behind the door. Disappointed, she knocked again.

Despondent, she turned away from the door and headed back down the corridor with her head hung low. Confusion and anger laced her blood as she tried to make sense of why he would leave without so much as a farewell. Yet, that typical of him.

"Stupid, Jin!" She kicked out at the white washed wall by the bank of elevators as it took its time to arrive.

Muttering profanities under her breath, she stood in front of the elevator as it finally ascended. A ding told her it had arrived on the floor and she jabbed at the button again to open the doors. When they began to part she took a step forward.

Her breath caught.

Jin Kazama was the lone occupant.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Jin stood there with his charcoal suit jacket open and his hands shoved casually into the pocket of his slacks. His tie was perfectly knotted against the column of his pale throat and the colour of crimson. His hazel eyes watched her, intrigued, as she jerked to halt. Stepping off of the elevator, he kept her gaze as she stood there, arrested by the sight of him.

The doors began to close and she didn't move. He took an easy step back and held his hand out to keep them open.

"Xiao?"

Blinking out of her momentary by the arousal of his deep voice, she realised she was staring at him.

"Is everything alright?" He asked carefully, searching the length of the corridor and niches with suspicious eyes.

"Y-yes." He met her with an arched dark-winged brow and she nodded firmly. "Yes."

Satisfied by her response, he began to traverse the corridor in long, measured strides that had her jostling a little behind to keep up.

"Do you…want to see me?" Jin asked as he withdrew his cardkey from the interior pocket of his jacket, surprised to find she had followed him to the door.

"Oh." Xiaoyu bit her lip, realising she hadn't elaborated on why she was there. Her heart was racing in her chest and her stomach quivered madly by his intense presence. She felt jumbled and off her game now she had what she wanted. "I—yes, yes I do."

Pausing with her confirmation, he regarded his cardkey with sudden reluctance.

"I don't have to." She suddenly swallowed, sensing his hesitation. "I really don't have to."

"No, it's alright." He said, inserting the cardkey into the door and twisting down on the handle. Pushing the door open, he gestured for her to go in first.

Walking inside, Xiaoyu stepped inside and stopped abruptly at the magnificent sight of his lavishly decorated room. It was filled with dark wood furniture, plush cream carpets with accents of red and gold in the decorations adding a spark of warmth and elegance.

"My room doesn't look like this!" She exclaimed as she toed off her sandals and headed over to the double doors to stare at the balcony and its patio furniture, and then beyond to the specular view it offered. "Oh my gosh!"

Jin laughed inwardly to himself as he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it over the back of one of the dining room chairs. It was endearing to see how true she remained to herself despite the last couple of years.

"Do you want something to drink?" He called out, glancing at the generous selection of fine teas, coffees and hot chocolates. Then he turned to the mini bar housekeeping had restocked from last night and the cans of fizzy orange soda he hadn't touched since arriving.

"Do you have a soda?"

"Sure." He nodded, secretly pleased as he fished one out and a bottle of sparkling water.

Opening the can with a _tsk_ sound, he joined her across the room and passed it to her.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly, lifting the drink to her lips for a fortifying sip.

A frisson of awareness prickled across her skin as their eyes met once more. He was a potent force, radiating a palpable energy and sexual magnetism that made her heart race again and palms hot and clammy. The room suddenly seemed minute despite being twice, if not three times, the size of hers.

"So what do you want?" He asked, startling her.

"I wanted to see how you were." She answered evenly. "It's been a lovely week."

Jin grimaced as he took a sip of water. She cursed inwardly. Not for him it wasn't. Who wanted to fight a demon personified as his missing—or dead—mother? The flame of hope and relief doused out by the cruel reality of defeating the Unknown, leaving nothing in its place. She wasn't coming back. Jun was gone.

"I'm sorry." Xiaoyu winced. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't." Jin said softly.

"Do you think they'll find her?"

His face shuttered close. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay. I'm sorry—again." Xiaoyu bit her lip.

Minutes passed in total silence. They stood next to one another, sipping their drinks and staring out at the balcony.

Wow, she making a mess of this. Maybe it was better not pursue him at this time. He was too raw. Though he tried to hide it, she knew him well enough from high school to know when he was hurting. Resigning to the fact it was better to leave now before she could make an ass out of herself any further or say something else incredibly insensitive; she placed her fresh can down on the nearest piece of furniture.

"I'm going to go."

Confusion marred his flawless complexion as she made for the door. "What? Why?"

"I'm not good at this." She gestured between them.

"Good at what?"

"At talking to you!" Her voice was strained and she hated how it sounded. She leant on the wall for support and she shoved her feet into her sandals. "You're only humouring me, anyway."

"Humouring?" Jin stood next to her, watching as she knelt down to fasten the small buckles on her ankles. "I wasn't humouring. If I didn't want you here, I would have said."

Rising up to her full height, she turned to face him. "But you didn't sound like you wanted me here."

"I haven't said anything!" He replied hotly.

"Exactly."

"You haven't given me chance." Jin levelled her with a serious look. "You're being very dramatic, Xiao. Is everything alright?"

Defeated his hazel eyes, she gave a small sigh as she knew he was right.

"I am being silly, aren't I?"

"Yes." He answered honestly.

"Sorry." She whispered, feeling like such an ass.

"It's fine. Really, it's fine." Jin scrubbed his face with one hand and gestured back into the room "Shall we start again?"

She followed him back into the room and he handed her back her drink, catching the small smile on his lips as their eyes met.

"What?" She asked suspiciously, never knowing if Jin smiling was a good or a bad thing.

"I feel sorry for your boyfriend if that's how quickly you erupt." He unlocked the balcony doors, letting a refreshing breeze shift through the room.

"Maybe if I _had_ a boyfriend." She fired back, following him out onto the balcony.

They made their way to the dark wicker and cream lined patio furniture, shaded by the large parasol positioned through the centre of the glass table surface.

"I thought you had a boyfriend." He said as he pulled out one of the chairs for her.

"No." Xiaoyu watched him round the table to sit opposite her. "Why would you think that?"

Jin shrugged as he took a swig of sparkling water. "I thought you were with someone from school."

"That was a rumour. At school. Two years ago." She laughed at the expression he pulled. "What? I have never mentioned a boyfriend in my life."

"That's not to say you wouldn't have one."

Xiaoyu smiled gently as he began to pick at the label on the bottleneck of his water. "What about you?"

He flashed her a look. "What do you think?"

"Hey, you never know. Going off your logic, if you never mention one, it's not to say you don't have one."

"A boyfriend?" He said teasingly.

"No, a girlfriend!" She scowled, but then turned serious. "Or, did you mean boyfriend? Were you being serious? I won't judge you if did, Jin."

"We both know I'm not gay." He replied evenly. "Not that there is anything wrong with being gay. Who you love and what you do to them behind closed doors is your own personal business—providing it's legal and consensual of course."

Xiaoyu nodded. "I wish more people thought like that."

"Me too."

"Because you're gay?"

Jin scowled. "No. I have a few friends who are, and they have to be secretive and lie because their families will disown them if they were to be found out."

"Now that's sad."

"It really is."

In the distance, the familiar shriek of Asuka rented the air closely followed by a splash in the pool below. They listened closely as she shouted only to be interrupted by another splash. Cheers erupted seconds later. Guessing by the placement of the sun, Xiaoyu estimated it to be three in the afternoon. The sky was a clear, blue canvas and the caressing breeze was delightful on the skin. With the tournament over, she needed to think about packing and checking out.

"What time are you leaving?" She asked Jin, knowing he was packed and ready to go from his room and clothes.

"Very shortly."

Realisation hit her. "Am I stopping you?"

"It's fine." He looked down at his empty bottle. "It's nice to prolong going back to real life. And it's nice talking to you. We don't get chance anymore."

"I try." She argued gently. "I try, but you always disappear without a word. Then I have to read about you in the media. Read about a person I think I know."

"Xiao…"

"But that isn't you. I know that isn't you." Dark eyes levelled with hazel. "You're actually a kind and sweet person, even if you don't want people to see it."

"I'm not." He muttered solemnly. "I'm really not."

Sensing his withdrawal, she offered her hand out across the table. "No matter what you think, the devil isn't you. That is a completely different entity. And you know what triggers it."

He stared at her hand, but didn't take it.

"I know you're tired of fighting." She moved her arm back and placed both hands in her lap. "I saw it, in this tournament. You're frightened the devil will overthrow you if you carry on."

"And it will." He said sharply.

"So, stop fighting."

"I can't. Kazuya and Heihachi—"

"Let them fight it out. Leave them. Let them kill each other, if you have to."

Jin offered her a weak smile. "You know I can't do that."

"Of course you can."

"Xiao…"

The shrill mechanical sound of a phone rented the air, effectively killing the moment.

Xiaoyu watched as he fished it out of his slack pocket and glanced at the screen. Offering her an apologetic look, he rose from his chair to take the call by the balcony edge.

What was she going to do? She wondered desperately. She was going to lose him again—and for how long this time? Forever, maybe? If his father and grandfather had their ways, she would. It was a risk she couldn't afford to chance again.

Jin killed the call quickly.

"Xiao, I'm going to have to leave—"

" _Wait_!"

His eyes widened at the defiant tone colouring her voice, her fingers curled into small fists she banged on the table like a fractious child. Puzzled, he could only stare down at her as she levelled him with a look of scorn.

"I have wanted to talk to you— _alone_ , for you goddamn long. Now that I finally plucked the courage to speak to you, you're leaving? Just like that?" She flashed him a challenging look. "Am I that intolerable?"

"Intolerable?" He frowned. "You're doing that thing again where you act like a crazy person…"

"Because you make me act like a crazy person!"

Rising to full height, he drew his chest back haughtily. "How the hell do I make you act like a crazy person?"

Sucking in an exhale, she wanted to shout at the infuriating man. Were they all as dense as he was? No wonder he had never had a girlfriend. Her anger quickly dissipated, leaving her shoulders slump as she rested back in defeat against the back of her chair.

"Tell me." He goaded, sensing her sudden withdrawal. "I haven't done anything to you. In fact, I'm hardly around you."

And just like that, she surmised he didn't care—not if he could throw his absence back at her like that. He knew he was hardly around her, and he didn't care.

"Fine." She blew a wayward strand of black hair from her face. "Fine, Jin. I'll leave."

Jin growled; the ivory skin rippling as the muscles in his jaw clenched and unclenched with his irritation of her. "Why are you being like this? The tournament is over. I have to leave. You know how it is."

Pushing back from her chair with a horrible scraping sound, she glared up at him. "Do you enjoy teasing me? Is that what this is? Are you some sort of egotistical, sadistic fuck that takes pleasure of out making my life a fucking misery?"

His anger quickly disappeared and he was left stunned.

"You're the worst." Xiaoyu threw at him as she rounded the table. "You confuse me. You send me postcards, you protect me, you act like we're close and yet when we're together—you ignore me. What the actual fuck?"

She threw opened the balcony doors leading back into the room and stalked into the shade it had to offer.

"Xiao—" Jin followed hastily, catching her gently by the elbow as she made for the door. "Xiao, wait. Wait, damn it."

He eased her gently up against the wall, studying her almost tearful face with such fierce intensity he had to remember to breathe. She fell silent, waiting for him to speak.

"I…"

Her arrogant dark brow challenged him.

"Oh, give me a break. I'm not good with this sort of stuff." He released her elbow to shove his hand through his glorious inky black hair. A tell-tale sign of his frustration. "Of course I care about you."

She contemplated him with narrowed eyes. "You have a funny way of showing it."

Jin scowled, throwing his hands up in the air with frustration. "You want me to tell you that I care about you, and I am—and you're _still_ shredding me."

Xiaoyu pushed off the wall, moving out of his reach as she made for her shoes.

"Where are you going?" He panted, his eyes wide with incredulity as she turned her back to him, scooping her shoes up to hastily put on. "Why are you ignoring me?"

"Because," She glanced over her shoulder at him, "because I don't want you to feel like you have to appease me. Like I'm forcing you to say these things."

She felt him come up behind her. His palm pressed flat against the wall, caging her in by the door. Gods, he smelled amazing. Fear and excitement sent a frisson of awareness throughout her body.

"Will you look at me?"

She closed her eyes at the surge of arousal she felt as his gentle yet authoritative tone.

"J-Jin."

Gosh, she hated how weak she sounded though her body sung with the knowledge his powerful frame was millimetres from her. If only she could act out the erotic fantasy playing in her mind, if only she had the confidence to just grab that damned Kazama by the collar and kiss him. He probably would kiss her back. Men liked women who took charge, did they not? But the rejection would be too painful if he didn't. She could just imagine his bewildered face, the involuntary step back as he cursed her for being like all the other women who threw themselves at his feet.

She flinched with a cry as Jin's phone rang again.

"Must we say goodbye like this?" He asked over the piercing, mechanical tone.

Inwardly she kicked herself. It was absurd that she ignored him, in his hotel, delaying him from his helicopter or limousine…

" _Xiaoyu_." Impatience coloured his tone.

Disappointed and regretful, Xiaoyu turned around to meet his hazel eyes. One hand rested on his waist, pushing open his jacket to reveal the vest and crisp dress shirt underneath. The other was splayed against the wall. He stared, his gaze searingly intense.

Tears stung at her eyes and she could see his hardened expression fall.

"I…" She said hoarsely. "I don't want to say goodbye just yet."

His eyes flitted down to her earnest expression in mute response. Then, he kissed her. She saw it coming and didn't turn away, too stunned and fascinated to see if it was really happening.

It was.

His kiss was confident, skilled, and synapse-frying as he bit on her lower lip with just enough aggression it sent a rush of wet, warmth to her groin. His hands fell over her cheeks, cupping them with a gentleness that surprised her, and he controlled the depth of the kiss. His mouth tasted of divine. He sucked on her tongue. She groaned in his mouth, feeling her legs sag with relief as he took her mouth.

In a wild rush, she pushed away from the door and let her hands roam under his jacket, cupping his lower back as she pressed her body up against him. He was as aroused as she was; a small gasp escaped her throat as she felt his cock hard and thick against her lower abdomen. She was vaguely aware of movement, too entranced by every hot, hard inch of him pressed against him, until the bed was against her legs.

Jin was levered over her, with one hand outstretched on the mattress; the other slid upward along her thigh as he lifted her body off the floor and onto the mattress in one smooth glide. Dazed, Xiaoyu watched as Jin climbed onto the bed with her, easing her legs apart with one knee to accommodate the width of his hips. Her eyes closed against the unbearable familiarity and ease he had with adopting the intimate position.

How many women had he been with?

"Jin…" She panted hoarsely, afraid she was going to be nothing more than a notch on his bedpost. An inconsequential lay.

Suddenly, a loud knock at the door tore him away from her with such ferocity he stumbled to his feet as he left the bed.

"Jin?" A voice called out.

It was Nina Williams.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"Damn it." Jin cursed viciously, shoving his hands through his hair to quickly rectify the tousled mess in the mirror. He adjusted the back of his dress shirt into his slacks which had come loose when Xiaoyu pulled it up during their passionate exchange.

The door banged again. Quickly satisfied with his appearance, he unlocked the door and opened it ajar a few millimetres to greet Nina.

"What?" He hissed, suddenly regretting it as she recoiled at his venomous tone.

"Are you alright, Jin?" She said, her gaze sharp on his flushed features and somewhat presentable hair. The lack of his usual calm composure narrowed her eyes. She let her hand fall to her hip where one gun was kept in its holster under her cream jacket. "Is someone in there with you..?"

"I'm fine." He groused, trying to hide his lower half from the door. His cock ached painfully against his slacks and he didn't need Nina seeing that.

"Ooh." Nina said knowingly. "Will you let me know when you're ready?"

"I'll call you." He replied tersely, closing the door in her face as she opened her mouth to reply.

Turning back in the room he found Xiaoyu scrambling up off the bed, mortified by the sudden intrusion into their privacy.

" _Will you let me know when you're ready?"_

She swallowed with sickening disbelief. Nina's casually thrown words chilling her to the bone and turning her stomach. How many women had he done this to? Lured them back to his room with his handsome looks, magnetising charm and the possibility of fame associated with his Kazama name?

Jin returned to her, flushed and scowling. His tie was loosened against the neck of his shirt and her eyes fell downwards to the impressive erection straining the fly of his slacks. Nina had to know. She wasn't an idiot.

"God, Jin." Xiaoyu pushed up off the bed and tried to straighten her appearance, furious at what she'd almost let happen. "What the hell was that?"

How many women had he been with to automatically take her to the bed? Kissing had given way to sex very quickly. And she had almost let it happen.

"Here." He came to her, brushing the loose strands of hair off her face.

"Leave me alone." She smacked at his hands, stunning him.

"What is your problem?" He demanded, placing both hands on his hips. "She doesn't know it's you in here!"

Her throat was dry and burned. She was embarrassed and infuriated by his fluency in getting her on the bed and between her legs.

Sure, she was no stranger to sex…but she wasn't so rash and hurried in her approach to it either. She had expected it to be different with him. She'd built it up in her mind—romanticised it, even, and yet he wanted her on her back, just like that.

"What, Xiao?" He said grimly, stood far aback from her as she made herself presentable.

"What was that?" She asked angrily. "Was that an easy opportunity for you to get laid?"

He flinched.

"Poor little Xiaoyu. She's stupid and innocent and in love with me, so I know—I'll bed her and then fuck off. She's up for it."

Jin stood in front of her, his mouth wide and gaping as she spoke. If it had been about anything else, she would have laughed at his ludicrous expression.

"How can you…" He began, ruining his hairstyle again with one hurried hand shifting through it. "How can you say that?"

"Just saying what I saw!"

"You were into that just as much as I was!"

Xiaoyu gestured angrily to the dishevelled bedding behind them. "I didn't mean let's fuck when I told you I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet."

He laughed mirthlessly, tossing his hands on his hips again. "You think I planned for that to happen? I don't recall you complaining. If it wasn't for Nina, I'd be inside you right now."

"And yet she didn't seem surprised in the slightest that you were quite obviously entertaining." Xiaoyu accused, thrusting a finger in his direction. "Is this normal for you?"

His jaw hardened. "I'm not answering that, Xiao."

It was as if he'd punched her in the gut. The aversion was as good as an answer.

"No. It isn't normal, Xiao" He qualified gently, scrubbing at his face. "But I'm twenty-one. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that it's my first time."

He stepped closer, his hands lifting to her face. She forced herself to meet his eyes, hating how he was blurry in her vision from the relentless tears.

"Hey." He said gently, brushing his thumb over her wet cheek. "I wasn't trying to use you. I'm not the complete cunt everyone thinks I am. What happened between us was very hot and escalated pretty fast, don't you agree? But nothing happened. There is no need to cry."

She gave a feeble nod in response.

Caressing her cheeks, he dipped his head to press a reverent kiss to her lips. There was no mistaking the softness. This was his way of offering an apology. His tender lips made her legs sag once more—this time she held one hand out to the wall behind her for support. It was impossible not be aroused. He had a delightful balance of tenderness and control.

"I think you'll be shouting at me again if I continue..." He mumbled, breaking the kiss to stare down at her pink, glistening lips.

Her chest fell with a purr of feminine satisfaction; she was intoxicated, and could have easily been led back to the bed.

"Jin…" There was painful longing in her voice. "I want to see you again."

"And you will." His hands fell to his sides, drawing her attention to his slacks once again.

"I don't mean at the next tournament." She bit her lip at the erotic sight. "I mean…just the two of us."

His dark winged-brow lifted, his gaze snared by her lip. How much he'd love to see those pretty little lips ringing the thick veins of his cock. The air left his chest in a steady exhale. If he had any hope of being soft enough to walk without a limp he'd have to pull his mind out of the primitive gutter.

"Jin?" He heard the strain in her voice.

He cleared his throat, turning his attention back to her eyes. "I don't know, Xiao. I don't want you getting involved with the Mishama's."

She gave a forced laugh. "Who said anything about them?"

Jin let his shoulders slump with a defeated exhale. Shaking his head despondently, he looked around the room, anywhere but her face at that moment. It was a mistake. He never should have kissed her. He was secretly pleased Nina had come when she had. Sleeping with Xiao would have been a disaster.

"Xiao, the moment you're involved with me you automatically fall under their radar. That's not an exaggeration or an excuse for me to turn you down, it's fact."

Her eyes fluttered as his words hit her like a slap on the cheek. She could fell tears glisten her eyes and she cursed herself for such a visceral response. He didn't want to be with her. Was that because she hadn't slept with him?

He shifted uncomfortably in front of her and reached out to hold her arm. "C'mon, don't make me feel like a bigger dick than I already do…"

"I want to be with you." She whispered, drawing the pads of her fingers under her eyes to catch the stray tears. "And you won't even give us a chance."

"Shit." He cursed, turning away from her. "Don't do this to me."

Xiao took one step towards him, placing a gentle hand on his bicep. "Jin, I love you—"

"Don't say it!" He whipped round angrily, pulling his arm out of her grasp. "You don't even know me to say you love me."

"Then let's spend more time together." She said gently.

"No!"

She glared at him, gesturing wildly to the crumpled bed. "Then what the fuck was that? You just wanted to get laid, didn't you?"

He scrubbed his face roughly. "No, of course not. You deserve someone better than me—"

"Oh, fuck off Jin."

"It's the goddamn truth!"

She barged past him, determined to put her shoes on his time. Her heart pounded so fiercely in her chest she could feel it against her ribs and the sound of blood roaring in her ears drowned out all other sounds as she scooped up her shoes with trembling hands. There was a hysterical laugh in that back of her mind that she'd almost had sex with him. Almost given him what he wanted. It was that humourless smile he saw on her lips as he stood in front of her, glimpsing down to catch her face.

"Xiao," There a note of panic in his voice, "Xiao, can you just wait?"

"Why?" She snapped viciously, ramming her feet into the sandals. "Will Nina think you've blown your load quickly if you go back too soon? Do you usually last longer?"

The muscles in his jaw clenched. "Shut your goddamn mouth—and don't talk like that."

"But this'll be the first fuck since the tournaments finished, and after a few long months of abstinence, you're bound to be quick your first time after, right?" Her gaze was hot and fierce on his face as she stood to her full height. "Get out of the way."

He stood in front of the door obstructively, his arms folded across his chest and legs parted in a defiant stance. She almost wondered if she'd pushed the man too far as his eyes pinned her, his hazel irises wide with barely controlled rage. Reaching out, she pushed at his chest.

"Get out of the way."

Jin didn't move. It was almost like pushing up against a concrete wall. His eyes remained on her as she shoved at him a couple of more times, this time the pitch in her voice increasing the more irate and tearful she became.

"Jin! Move!"

She bounced off him, her strength failing each time she shoved him. She was strong, but he was stronger.

The ivory skin of his jaw fluttered as he clenched and unclenched the muscles of his jaw, his eyes dull and flat. "Is that all you think I view you as? A sexual conquest?"

She shrugged aggressively. "That's what it looked like. I've never been rushed onto a bed so quickly."

He growled in frustration. "If I was that desperate to get laid, all I would have to do is click my fingers and loads of women would open their legs—"

Jin certainly was the strongest of the pair, but he sure wasn't the quickest. Xiaoyu's palm snapped out and slapped the side of his face with such ferocity it sent his head to the side, the thunderous crack ricocheting across the room.

"How. Fucking. Dare. You." She snarled, pushing up to his face. "You ill-conceited arsehole!"

He panted incredulously, holding his reddening cheek. "I didn't say I would! I was trying to say—"

"Save it." She bit out, resisting the urge to hit him once more. "I can't believe I finally plucked up the courage to tell you that I love you after all of these years, and in return you tell me you can sleep with anyone you want so long as you click your fingers. Jack. Ass."

Jin groaned. "That's not what I meant. You didn't let me finish."

"Well I'm sure you can get help with that if you click your fingers." She replied coldly, cutting him a fulminating glare as she grasped the handle behind him and forced the door open, shoving him up against the wall as she slipped out of his room.

"God damn it." Jin snarled, rounding the door and thrusting it back open in time to see Xiaoyu reach the bank of elevators. He hurried along the corridor, his long strides closing the gap between them. He refused to run. He refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing how deeply she'd affected him…until the car doors opened and she slid inside. Then his pace turned to a quick jog. "Xiao, wait!"

The mobile in his pocket rang, adding to the cacophony of sounds rendering the air. It had to be Nina wondering what was keeping him. It was the least of his concerns. The doors slid shut with Xiaoyu inside, leaving him to bang his fists on the metal as the mechanical whirring indicated the elevator had begun its descent.

"Xiao!" He couldn't help exclaim, pounding his fists uselessly once more.

The shrill ringtone pierced through him and he reached to answer the call with frustrated movements.

" _What_?" He balked without preamble, one hand splayed against the elevator as he rested his forehead against the cool surface. "I said I'm coming… Fine. I'll be right there."

Killing the call to Nina, he shoved his phone in the silk interior pocket of his jacket and let out a deep sigh. Xiaoyu's words played around in his head. She'd totally taken his words out of context—or even let him finish, the damn stupid woman! She was absolutely crazy, and yet he was the one considering pursuing her across the resort in front of his fighting peers to try reason with her…

No. That was a ridiculous idea.

Resigned to the idea he'd handled that very badly, he pivoted on the ball of his heel and headed back to his room to give it one last look before checking out.

* * *

Christie blinked in surprise as she spotted her friend traversing the marble corridor of the ground floor, her head cast down to hide her pained expression. Her flip-flops slapped against the smooth surface as she jostled along to catch up to her, not wanting to call her name out for fear of attracting more attention to the evidently distressed teen. The horrendous sound of her footwear was enough to lift Xiaoyu's head as she caught up.

She didn't say anything as she looked at the Chinese girl's tearful face. Her lips thinned into a stern line and she banded one golden arm over her shoulder, drawing her closer.

"What happened?" She uttered quietly, checking no one was around to overhear them.

Xiaoyu licked her lips. "What happened…is I'm not trusting your advice again. That was horrible."

"It hasn't looked great, I won't lie." Christie said honestly, eyeing up her red eyes and swollen cheeks. "Shit, I'm sorry Xiao. That was all my fault."

Xiao let out a hollow laugh. "How is it your fault? You being a good friend and advising me how you thought best. It just turns out he is exactly like everyone thinks—a total dick."

Christie steered her away from the archway leading to the pools and towards their rooms. "Miharu has taken your stuff up, so don't worry about that. We'll need to check out soon."

"Does she know?"

The Brazilian swallowed before nodding. "I had to tell her something. And you're best friends. I didn't think you'd mind."

Xiaoyu nodded glumly.

"Do I need to have a word with him?"

"He's already left—but it's fine. Leave him. I'm glad he showed me that side of him early on. Saves me getting my heartbroken, y'know?"

Christine eyed her warily, letting the younger girl go through the double doors to the rooms first. "…if you're sure?"

* * *

Nina sat on the bench seat of the limousine, waiting patiently for Jin to appear. She sipped at her bottle of sparkling water and observed fighters leaving the hotel to go about their daily lives, contestants in the world's greatest tournament no longer. She wondered how many more Paul Phoenix would be entering as she spotted him heading over to his motorbike. Then she spotted Jin leaving the hotel, flocked by the three security personnel she'd tasked with waiting by the entrance for him to appear. The moment Jin Kazama stepped foot outside of the hotel, he was free game. She caught his sour expression as he approached the vehicle, the door opened by one of the security guards.

"Nina, what the hell?" He bit out as he slid next to her on the buttery leather. "Why the fuck didn't you ring me like you normally do?"

The security guard closed the door shut behind him and slid into the front with the limo driver. Nina slid across to the opposite bench after they pulled away from the kerb and took her water across with her, regarding his agitated body language with a smirk. She hit a button and the privacy glass behind the driver and guard began to slide up. "Did I spoil your fun?"

Jin tore his sunglasses off his eyes and threw them on the bench next to him, glancing at her with a disapproving eye.

"What?" Nina laughed, watching as he opened the bar and pulled out a bottle of cognac. "Don't be a pouty bitch with me. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." His voice was small. He poured a drink and tossed it back.

Her eyes narrowed. "Did something happen?"

"No."

"Jin?"

"I said no." He snapped, pouring a more generous measure.

Nina scowled, snatching the drink from Jin's hand. "Look, whatever happened at the hotel leave it at the door. The tournament is over. We need to get back to work."


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

The sound of her bedroom door opening ended Xiaoyu's forgettable dream, but it was the mouth-watering aroma of java that really woke her. The mattress sunk beside her and she felt a hand on her bare shoulder.

"Xiao…" Miharu smiled, placing the teal mug on the bedside. "Time to wake up."

After returning home, Xiao and Miharu had thrown themselves into clubbing like it was going out of style. They'd bounced all over the downtown clubs, wasting stupid money on cover charges and having a fantastic time. They'd danced until their feet felt like they were going to fall off and flirted outrageously with fans, taking shot after shot until they knew it was time to leave—or until Xiaoyu's complaints about Jin grew louder and louder. _Then_ it was time to leave.

"'time is it?" She groaned, lifting her head to meet her friends gaze.

Miharu grinned, checking her watch. "A little after ten."

Xiaoyu pulled the duvet over her head with a moan. She didn't respond when Miharu shoved at her. It was only when her friend's footsteps faded from the room and along the wooden floor of the corridor that she resigned herself to get up with a dramatic flick of the cover off her body.

Damn Miharu.

Her head pounded with the sudden movement and she held her temples pathetically, squeezing her eyes as tightly shut as she could tolerate whilst the sudden headache subsided. She had drunk far too much. After guzzling down the coffee thirstily she took a long, hot shower and threw on a pair of black leggings and a cropped white top. She wasn't in the mood for a wired bra, so one of the comfortable, old sports ones would have to do. Scraping her wet hair back in a ponytail she made her way into the open room of the apartment she shared with Miharu. Annoyingly, she found her on the sofa with her netbook, looking fresh and alert. Smelling more freshly brewed coffee, she dragged her feet across to the kitchenette portion of the apartment and grabbed another mug.

"How are you feeling?" Miharu called out.

With her second dose of much-need caffeine wrapped between her palms, Xiaoyu joined her on the sofa.

"I feel like death."

"You look like it, too." Miharu said, closing the lid of her netbook to regard her friend with a wry smile. "You were pretty wasted last night."

"I wasn't that bad, was I?" Xiaoyu winced, searching her memory for the events of last night. She came up blank. No doubt they'd slowly come back to her as the day progressed.

"You were okay when your mind wasn't on him..." Miharu set her mug down on the coffee table. "It was just…when your mind _was_ on him. It was hard to pull you out of that rut. A few guys offered to keep you entertained for the evening, but you turned them down—not that I'd have let you go with them when you were that drunk anyway. That would have just been irresponsible of me."

Xiaoyu took slow, tentative sips this time. She needed a salty, greasy meal and litres of water before going back to bed for the remainder of the day. Or waste it on the sofa with a blanket streaming re-runs of old TV classics. Miharu had always been the perky friend scarcely affected by the viciousness of a hangover. It was an enviable quality. One Xiaoyu wished she had, especially today.

"You relax and go to sleep." She took her mug off the coffee table and urged Xiaoyu to sprawl across the charcoal fabric. "I'm going to go to the gym for a bit, and I'll bring back some burgers and fries and shit on my way back."

"You're a good friend." Xiaoyu groaned, drawing her knees up to her stomach as she felt one of their fur throws blanket her body. "…and a bitch."

Miharu laughed as she scooped her bag up off the kitchen table. "It'll catch up to me one day. You'll see." Spotting the television remote out of reach on the coffee table she took it and pointed it at the screen, glancing as the screen came to life and dropped it on the cushion next to Xiaoyu. "I won't be long, babe."

'… _of the Mishima Zaibatsu was seen boarding a flight to Los Angeles in the sunny southern state of California only hours after the second ever iron fist tag tournament came to a conclusion…'_

Xiaoyu blinked once, twice. Her eyes sharpened, her awareness heightened by the image of Jin on the celebrity gossip channel. He was a handsome son-of-a-bitch in a tailored three piece suit, cutting a thick and imposing silhouette as his muscles strained against the silky bespoke pin-stripe material. His eyes were shielded by a pair of aviator sunglasses though the thin line of his lips told of his usual grim expression.

"You 'kay, Xiao?" Miharu asked, rubbing her leg over the throw gently.

"Yeah…" Her friend uttered quietly, pausing the TV so she could stare at the image of Jin Kazama.

Miharu said something else before she left but she didn't catch it. A sliver of uneasiness chilled her blood, a horrible comprehension on the verge of cognizance as she stared at the screen. Then, it broke through.

"Oh shit." She ripped the thin throw off her body and stood up, looking at the cluttered table surface for her clutch. Pulling out a takeaway receipt, a handful of scrunched up toilet paper and her lip gloss she finally found the slim handset of her mobile. It was with almost disappointment that she finally took a breath as she turned on the screen and stared down at the screen saver of Panda. No messages. No missed calls. Just social network notifications that more people had started to follow her. Her hands trembled, and she knew it was more the over-indulgence of alcohol than it was holding the phone. She took a fortifying sip of coffee to steel her nerves as she unlocked her phone with a pattern. Wincing inwardly she saw she'd called Jin four times and left him several messages across a multitude of platforms, all of which had been delivered but not 'seen'. Fortunately most were barely legible, however the most cringe-worthy ones were desperate and pleading. Damn alcohol and its effect of lowering inhibitions.

Determined not to think about him anymore, she flicked the channel over to some home improvement program and closed her eyes.

* * *

"You ready?" Nina Williams asked as she entered the hotel room looking amazing. The dress she wore was fire engine red and styled for a Grecian goddess. It hung on one shoulder, cut diagonally across her ample breast to reveal plentiful cleavage, and had ruching to the hip. A split at her right upper thigh revealed her toned, creamy-coloured leg and rhinestone stiletto.

"Mm." Jin muttered, as he stood in front of the windows and looked out at the well-lit metropolis of LA. His reflection revealed a contemplative mood, his gaze unfocused and his mouth grim.

"You seem more miserable than usual." Nina said as she approached, brushing the silken shoulders of his tux. "I thought sleeping on the jet might've helped that."

"I couldn't." He answered, turning back into the room.

Nina set off with him, nodding perfunctorily as he let her pass through the doors first. "Try not to be sour all evening. This charity function will be good for your image."

Jin laughed mirthlessly as they stopped by the bank of elevators. "Like I give a shit about image."

"All right…" She replied evenly, glancing at the numbers until the car reached their floor with a ping. "Well how about you do it for your friend? He was the reason you agreed to come out in the first place. Don't let him down."

"He'll be delighted to meet you." Jin shot back with a small smirk.

Nina returned his smirk as they stepped into the elevator. "Let's hope it's an entertaining evening for both of us, then."

Camera flashes burst around them like fireworks as they walked the length of the press gauntlet, but they scarcely paid them any attention, offering small smiles by rote until they traversed the carpet and crossed over into the building. When they reached the reception, they took two glasses of champagne from a passing server and watched as their security detail slipped surreptitiously amongst the other guests. It was doubtful Kazuya or Heihatchi would come for him here, but it wasn't a risk he was willing to take. He searched the room for his friend, Daniel, and spotted him on the far side of the room with a stacked blonde.

"Jin." Daniel's face lit up when he spotted him. His gaze quickly shifted to Nina and his smile widened to show his perfect white teeth. "I thought you weren't coming."

Nina smiled perfunctorily as she listened to Jin slip into English, the Japanese inflection almost imperceptible. She knew this was one of the few true friends Jin had. They'd met whilst he was in Australia, and though they didn't keep in regular contact, it was always like picking up where they'd left off every time. She straightened when she heard Jin introduce her.

"Pleasure." She muttered, glancing at the trophy woman on the chair.

"And this is Michelle." Daniel gestured as the blonde rose.

Monica came in close, air-kissing each of Jin's cheeks, holding his forearms with her manicured talons for support. She was dressed in a shimmering, fitted column of icy blue. Sapphires dripped rom her ears, throat and wrist. Her long blonde hair had been hair-sprayed to death to maintain its wavy look over her shoulders. He couldn't help but let his eyes sweep over her the impressive swell of her breasts and wonder if they were her own, or surgically augmented like most were in LA.

"Dan showed me some Youtube vids of you fighting." She beamed happily. "You have such a ripped body."

Jin glanced at Dan and could tell immediately that he'd brought the airhead along for him. In exchange for Nina, perhaps. He found that more amusing that he should have. Nina would eat the good Australian alive. As soon as he got chance, he'd have to tell Daniel he wasn't interested in Monica. The exchange with Xiaoyu was still raw. After everything they'd been through, he couldn't believe she thought he would use her for sex. He liked his sex casual with no exaggerated expectations, and sex with Xiaoyu would be anything but. Since yesterday, he hadn't been able to get her out of his head. It was driving him crazy.

Sipping champagne, he slid into an auto-pilot mode of self-preservation as they mingled with the crowd. Daniel introduced them to people and he spoke at the appropriate moments, but he wasn't really paying attention. He was too occupied with the inner turmoil over contacting Xiaoyu. Thankfully he'd had the foresight to leave his phone back at the hotel. The only one he carried now was a burner phone in case of an emergency.

When dinner was announced, he went to the dining room and poked at his food. He wasn't really a fan of the calorie-laden American cuisine. Roast and mashed potatoes seemed excessive. He drank a few glasses of the Shiraz wine they served with the meal and listened to Nina talking to their tablemates. She made no attempt to drag him into the conversation, and he was glad. She knew him well.

"You know, for it to be good for your image you do have to _talk_ to people." Nina whispered discreetly as she brought her wine glass to her lips.

"You seem to be doing a good job." He quipped in Japanese.

After the meal and ornate speakers they headed to the ballroom and stepped onto the dance floor. The band began the first strains of a waltz and they moved easily, naturally to the music. He was a skilled dancer—contrary to what most might think—agile and confident in his lead as they swept across the floor.

"Alright, what's going on?" Nina asked, studying his sullen expression as he took her across the room. "You wanted to come all the way out here, and now you're being disinterested and rude. This isn't like you, Jin—not with friends."

He took a deep breath, feeling uncomfortable despite how fluidly they moved together. "It's nothing."

"Bullshit." Her eyes narrowed. "Something happened back at the tournament, and I want to know what it is. It's affected you. I'm not the only one who has noticed."

Jin let his gaze wander to the other dancers for a moment. "It's Xiaoyu."

"Ling Xiaoyu?" Nina blinked. The pieces fell into place before her. He was lovesick. The damn man was acting like an angst teenage girl. "She…was in the hotel room with you, wasn't she?"

"Yes—but not like that."

"But nearly like that." She remembered how he came to the floor, his face flushed and ducktail hair dishevelled. "I ruined the moment, didn't I?"

Beneath her fingers, she could feel the tension in his muscles. "Yes, but I'm glad you did. It needed to be ruined."

Nina blew out a forced sigh, her gaze stern on his face. "You need to get your shit together. G Corporation won't hesitate to attack because you're holding a torch for the little Chinese girl. You should have screwed her out of your system and moved on. Ling Xiaoyu is trouble for you. I know you don't need me to tell you that."

He made a frustrated noise. "I know."

The song ended and the dancers gently wound down. Jin released Nina and led her from the dancefloor with a hand at the small of her back until they made it to their table.

"Shall we go?" Nina asked, retrieving her clutch from the table as he gave her a muted nod.

Then, she made an abrupt _tsk_ sound and glanced around the ballroom, reaching up to the earpiece pleased discreetly in her ear. "They've found us." She said evenly, glancing at him under long lashes. "The media blabbed. We need to leave. G Corp jets are on their way."

"Great." He bit out, searching the room for Dan.

When Jin couldn't find him, he followed Nina and the bodies of men in black suits gathering by the archway leading towards the vestibule. He recognised his mobile phone as one of the men thrust it into his hand. They must have cleared his room in case this happened. They wasted no time hurrying him through the reception walkway, silencing anyone who came close to talk as they spotted him for the first time all evening. When they finally made it down to street level, Nina informed him that the car was outside.

"Just keep walking." She advised as they passed through the lobby. Not that he was going to do anything different.

The paparazzi still waited outside. Not as many as before, but more than a dozen. As they stepped outside, cameras flashed around them. The security guards framed him as he walked, rising above him like sky scrapers, although ironically he was probably stronger than all of them. It was always a peculiar feeling that men were willing to risk their life for him despite his devil genes. He couldn't imagine any sum of money would be enough to make him risk his life for another—

"Get down!"

The shout barely registered before someone urged him forward with a rough, desperate push. He was directed to one of the gleaming black SUVs0 and he obediently slid into it as the door was thrust wide open for him. A loud crack of a sound jolted through him, reverberating off the side panel and ringing in his ears. The door slammed quickly behind him as he was thrown onto the leather seats and set off just as quickly, the sound of tyres screeching in their wake.

* * *

"Leave him, damn it." Miharu scowled as she reached over and threatened to pluck the mobile phone out of Xiaoyu's hand. "You've done so well so far. Don't contact him now."

Xiaoyu let out a small sigh as she clicked her phone into sleep mode and dropped it beside her. After a stuffing a bunch of fries in her mouth, she chewed reflexively and took a small sip of her strawberry milkshake to swallow it down. She was so pissed that Jin hadn't looked at her messages. Out of the country or not, that man had to have his phone on him. He would still be able to get signal in California. He was just being an ignorant sod, as usual. Yet his silence made her desperate and needy.

"I should have heard him out on the corridor." She'd told Miharu everything, wanting her friend to critique the scenario and give her feedback and all important friendly advice on what to do next time. She was more experienced with the opposite sex and valued her input. "I shouldn't have bolted to the elevator."

"You can't change that." Miharu rhymed off for the fourth time. "You've made first contact with him. Now you need to wait and let him come to you."

"But he won't though." She checked her phone in case she'd missed a message within the last minute. "He's a stubborn guy."

"He hasn't even looked at them, Xiao. Give him chance." Miharu said as she brought a small cheeseburger to her mouth. "You don't know what's going on with him right now."

* * *

"Fuck. They got here quick." Jin ran frantic hands through his hair, glancing back through the rear-window to see if they were being followed.

Nina was sat with the driver at the front, barking orders into the mic placed in her wristwatch. The moment she stopped talking into it, she arched her head to talk to him, "They didn't. A subcontracted assassin did."

He let out a mirthless laugh, slamming back into the door as the SUV took a corner sharp. The city whizzed past in a blur, horns blared indignantly and pedestrians threw out violent expletives.

Nina turned back to the road, her eyes astute and alert as she pointed out hazards to the driver. After a while, she glanced back at Jin who had fallen silent, "We're preparing the jet. We're going back to Japan. Now."

"No complaints from me." He muttered, reaching into his pocket for his personal phone.

The tinted windows softened the penetrating street lights as they sped through the city. He blew out a harsh exhale and sat back against the buttery leather, powering on his phone with trembling fingers. The screen lit up as it came to life, bathing his face in a bright as he unlocked the screen with his retina and numerical PIN combination. Shortly afterwards came the onslaught of phone provider messages about roaming followed by an incessant ping of text messages.

"Can you put that thing on silent?" Nina groused.

He ignored her, using the pad of his thumb to scroll through the messages until a few gained his interest. His heartrate elevated as he read Ling Xiaoyu's name over and over, checking and double checking the date and time that she'd sent them. With bated breath, he opened the messages in anticipation to read several passages of abuse and felt bemused to find they were of a different tone. She'd tried calling him. She missed him. She was clearly drunk from the horrendous spelling mistakes. It was…cute.

"Don't get comfortable just yet."

"I know." Jin answered without looking. His fingers were poised over the letters as a barrage of potential replies flooded his mind. He could tell her he was also thinking about her… Or that he hoped she hadn't been too rough the morning after… Or would she consider meeting up so he could apologise… But he didn't. He held his phone with a steadying fist and watched the road as they headed back to the airport.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

The first few hours on the jet were chaotic. After the numerous phone calls and arrangements upon landing, the lights in the cabin dimmed and most rested back in their reclined chairs with an eye-mask. One of the security men sat at the front in one of the swivelling bucket seats. Every so often his gaze lifted to the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu. The light from his mobile lit up the planes of the Kazama's tired face and he could see the multitude of emotion racing across his face as his fingers scrolled over and over the handset. He diverted his gaze as the flight attendant crept across the wide aisle.

"Sir, can I get you anything?" She asked in a hushed voice, offering him a warm smile when their eyes met.

Jin tried to swallow past the dry lump in his throat, "No thank you."

"A coffee, or juice?" She suggested kindly.

He nodded, realising how hoarse his voice sounded. "Please."

Turning his attention back to his phone, he scrolled over Xiaoyu's messages one last time before throwing it in his lap. Since receiving them he'd read them that much he knew them off by heart, stalked her social media accounts and her roommate, Miharu's. What was he expecting to find? Tagged photographs of Xiao with her arms draped around some guy? With her tongue stuck down his throat? Hours before he'd been shot at and yet the only thing he could think about was Ling Xiaoyu. He picked up his phone once again and began the obsessive ritual.

"Jin, if you don't put that phone down I'm going to flush it down the toilet."

He glanced up and across the aisle at Nina. She lay almost supine in her chair, the eye-mask still in place and her hands folded defensively across her chest.

"How do you…?"

"I can hear you unlocking the damn thing." She groused, pulling the mask over the crown of her blonde hair to scowl at him with bleary eyes. "Go to sleep."

"Can't now." Jin smirked as the attendant passed him a cup of coffee.

"Can I get one of those? Thanks." Nina said, bringing her chair back to a seated position. She let out a yawn and stretched her limbs out before her. Checking her watch, she rested back into the buttery leather with a soft groan. "I was hoping I'd slept longer."

"Five hours isn't bad." He said, taking a fortifying sip. "We'll land in an hour."

Nina rubbed at the corner of her eyes with the tips of her index fingers and smiled thankfully when the attendant reappeared with a cup of coffee for her. She didn't wait for it to cool down before taking a sip. "So what are we going to do about this girl?"

His fist tightened around the phone.

"Jin."

"Why does anything have to happen?"

Nina studied his tired features. "Because this isn't you. We're at war. A war you started. Now is not the time for you to start following your dick."

"I'm not following my dick." He scowled.

"Sorry," She laughed humourlessly, "your _heart_."

"You don't have to say it like that, Nina."

"I guess I'm finding this side of you hard to accept." The assassin replied evenly, watching him carefully. "You've known this girl how long? Yet you're suddenly acting like you have feelings for her now? I don't buy it."

"Buy whatever you want. I'm not proving myself to you."

"Are you sure it's not because she's the only girl who hasn't spread 'em when you clicked your fingers?"

He huffed. "What is the obsession with women and sex?"

She shrugged. "It's not my obsession, Jin. I know what you're like. I've worked with you often enough to know when you want a woman on her back, she's on it."

"Why, you jealous I haven't had you on your back?" He goaded.

"I'm not playing this game with you, little boy." She murmured, reaching inside her bag for her compact mirror. "I'm saying she is an unfinished conquest and your dick is eager for closure."

Jin grimaced, knocking back the rest of his coffee. "Xiaoyu is fine. Leave her alone."

"Oh yeah? That why you keep checking your phone?"

"Nina." He said tightly, dropping his phone on lap. "I said it's fine. It's my problem. So leave it."

The blonde blew a wayward strand from her face. "A problem of yours is a problem of mine, you know that."

He levelled her with a serious look. "The hell does that mean?"

She gave a small shake of the head. Arguing with a sleep-deprived, pining Kazama was not on her top list of priorities. When they landed, she'd make sure he had a nice pair legs to wrap around his waist and help him forget about the girl. "Go to sleep Jin."

"We're landing soon. What's the point?" He countered, lifting the blind from the cabin window to inspect the vista of cotton-soft clouds stretching for miles and miles.

Nina acquiesced with a small shrug. "Which is why you should have slept during the flight instead of wasting your time staring at that damn thing every other minute."

Jin swallowed angrily. "What I choose to do is none of your business."

She laughed incredulously. " _Everything_ you do is my business! How can I protect you if I don't know what's going on in that skull of yours? I'm telling you, this girl is trouble. You don't need this. Cut her out. You've done it before, so do it again."

"And what if I want her in my life, huh?" He challenged, jabbing the soft leather of his armrest viciously. "What then?"

"Then I'd say you sure picked a shit moment to play boyfriend." Nina countered coolly. "Burdening the girl with your problems is selfish. You want to drag her into all the shit you have with your family like he did with your mother?"

"Don't mention her." Jin snapped, his fingers gripping the arm rests. "It would be _nothing_ like the relationship they had."

Nina groaned. "So do you want a relationship with this girl? Are you out of your goddamn mind? I thought you told her a list of viable reasons not to be together—and they were right! You can't just recant them with a click of your fingers. Heihachi and Kazuya will still go after her. She would still be in danger. You _know_ this. You said this yourself."

"I don't know," Jin scrubbed at the thin film of stubble over his jaw. "I've been going over this in my head, and I think it could work."

"If you want to fuck a dead girl, sure." She said caustically.

"You're such a negative and bitter bitch, you know that?" He bit out.

"I'm being realistic, Jin. That's why you hired me." Nina qualified, watching as he glowered out of the window. "You know I'm right."

His shoulders dropped despondently. "Then what the fuck do I do?"

"You continue trying to figure out a way to expel the devil gene from your body and take down G Corporation. Let her go. She isn't meant for a life like this." She wanted to reach out and comfort him in that moment, the moment she saw his stoic face crumple with fatigue and tears.

Maybe she'd send two girls up to his room... It sure as shit looked like one wasn't going to be enough to make him forget Ling Xiaoyu any time soon.

* * *

Xiaoyu stirred from a pleasant dream involving Jin. She stretched in bed and let out a feminine sigh of appreciation as the linger memory of his hands on her skin sent a bloom of warmth across her cheeks and a rush of warmth between her legs. She couldn't image he'd be that caring and soft in real life. She imagined him to be a heady trip where he was aggressive and decisive with his needs and took exactly what he wanted from his bed partner. The thought of Jin whispering sweet nothings and reciprocating oral sex made her laugh. Still. It was a beautiful dream and she wasn't quite ready to yet the harsh realities steal that away from her just yet. He was a selfish prick for ignoring her. It also confirmed her suspicions that he was just after her to get laid. Despite that anger and hurt, all she could think about was him. He filled her thoughts every moment she was awake and now in sleep, it appeared.

Suddenly a dull thud sent Xiaoyu from being sleepy to alert in seconds. She felt adrenaline tear through her body and her elevated heartrate pound furiously in her chest. Within seconds her body was on fire all over. Taking shallow breaths, she strained her ears for something.

There it was again!

This time it was the creak of a floorboard.

Shit! Was someone in their apartment?

She tore the duvet off her body and carefully rose from the bed, straining her ears for any other sounds of an intruder. Panic flooded her body as she caught the sound of a hushed conversation. With a trembling hand, she slid open the middle drawer of her bedside table and collected the heavy duty flashlight purposely kept as an innocuous weapon. The digital clock told her it was almost four in the morning.

Fuck! It was definitely a break in.

With shaking hands, she swapped the flashlight for her phone and tried her PIN code three times before her fingers would press the right combination of numbers. Then, she dialled 110 for the police and whispered as loud as she dared to the operator.

How could she contact Miharu?

Would she be awake as well? Was her phone on loud? Would a message alert the burglars?

"This way."

Fuck, they were close!

Xiaoyu lifted the torch in one hand and kept her phone in the other. She turned round desperately, looking for something—anything, that would help. In madness, she hurried across her room and carefully slid open the doors to her walk-in wardrobe. Flashing the light on and off she found a pair of boots and shoved them into her bare feet. If she had to fight them, the kicks would have to hurt and a bare footed kick was going to hurt a lot less than a booted one.

Suddenly, a scream rented the pregnant silence.

Xiaoyu gasped aloud, listening as Miharu's shrill voice pierced the air along with the cacophony of smashing items. "G Corporation! Xiao, it's G Corporation!"

"Oh my god." She swallowed breathlessly, scrambling for her phone. She'd never had such difficulty concentration in her life, yet she just about managed to jab her PIN code once more with trembling fingers before she pulled up the contacts. Her fingers slid over the screen so quickly that she missed Jin's name and had to go back up the list of names.

Footsteps grew closer outside her door and she panted, turning the small corner of her wardrobe and pushing away the rack of dresses to hide behind them. It felt like eternity before her phone did anything and she had to take it away from her ear to look at the screen. She wanted to scream as she saw it was struggling to make a connection.

"Come on, come on." She panted impatiently.

The door to her bedroom burst open and a discord of voices and heavy footfall sent her body into overdrive.

It went to voicemail.

Xiaoyu gripped the phone tightly in her perspiration-slick hands. It felt like an eternity until the phone operator stopped speaking and the beep came, "Jin it's me." She gushed down the speaker with heavy pants. It sounded like she'd just run a marathon. "S-some men are in the house. They've taken Miharu. She just said they were from G Corporation. They're coming for me—" She let out an involuntary cry of fear as the wardrobe door thrust open and dancing lights appeared through the gaps in the dresses. "God, t-they're here. Jin, I'm scared. I'm really fucking scared."

She fell silent. It reminded her of an American film she'd watched where a man's daughter was kidnapped in France and he rescued her. It was surreal. She knelt in the nook of her wardrobe, holding her breath for fear of being heard. Maybe they wouldn't get her. Maybe they thought she was out for the evening—how would they know? Either way, she wouldn't move from that spot or talk on the phone until she was sure they had left.

Then, she heard two words that chilled her blood: "beds warm".

Through the gap, she saw one man stride purposely towards her and she bunched every muscle in her body. As the dresses were pushed aside, she thrust the flashlight up and into the man's face. She knew immediately by the contact he was wearing a helmet. Of course he was—they all did as part of standard kit issue.

"Target confirmed." He called, reaching inside for her and yanking her out by the arm.

In desperation, she swung her foot out and kicked at his leg with a distinct crunch as the patella cracked and was forced around his knee. The man buckled with a wail and she managed to climb over him just as two men filled the space.

"Don't do anything stupid." One of their mechanically filtered voices told her.

"Where is Miahru?" She screamed, brandishing the flashlight like a baseball bat. "She has nothing to do with this. Let her go! Let her go goddamn you!"

"Come with us." One stepped forward, ignoring her demand. "Come with us and your friend won't get hurt."

"I said, let-her-go!"

He reached out to her. "Now, don't do anything stupid."

She glanced back at the soldier groaning on the floor and stomped on his bad leg, across the head of his tibia and felt something give under the weight of her boot. He screamed in pain, clutching at his leg.

"I said let her go!"

"Wrong move, bitch."

The wounded man jabbed the back of her knee and she crumpled just like he had, falling forward in front of the other two soldiers. Within seconds they were upon her, forcing the flashlight out of her hand. Then, she felt excruciating pain as fingers dug into the side of her neck to compress the blood supply to her brain. Within seconds she passed out.

* * *

"I can't wait to sleep." Jin stared out the window of the jet as it taxied to a halt a private airport on the outskirts of Kyoto.

"And you know the best way to do that." Nina said as she rose from her seat, offering her hand out to him. "Give me the phone."

She almost surprised how easily he acquiesced and thrust the warm, sweaty device into the palm of her hand. It was a testament of how close he'd kept that damn thing to him throughout the flight.

They felt a slight bump as the rolling staircase was positioned against the jet. A rush of cool morning air prickled the hairs on his arms and neck as the door opened. Two of the security men exited first. Followed by Nina. With one final guard behind him, he took began his descent down the metal staircase. He could feel the apprehension radiate off the man behind him as they entered the wide, open space of the runway. Up ahead, he could hear his mobile ping with multiple messages as it finally connected with the nearest signal tower. He wanted to ask Nina for it back, but she must have sensed him.

"It's almost five in the morning. No one will be awake now." She told him, making sure he saw her powering the device down. "Turn it on after you've rested."

"Yes, Mum." He replied dryly. He was too tired to employ his power over the woman. After all, she had his interest at heart. It wasn't her fault he'd fallen down the rabbit hole of infatuation. If anything, she'd got a resilient grip on his foot and was trying to pull him up and out of it.

The drive over to the mansion was relatively short. When the sound of gravel crunching under tires signalled their arrival, the SUV rounded the circular driveway and the household staff emptied out into the courtyard by the steps. They kowtowed to the CEO as he stepped out of the vehicle and hurried up the steps without a glance at them. He was greeted by the smell of freshly baked bread and ground coffee in the vestibule, but it wasn't enough to lure him into the kitchen. He was desperate for a shower and bed.

Icy needles of water bombarded Jin's greasy skin, the sting chasing away the now distorted memories of his last encounter with Xiao. He'd replayed it so much in his mind, the 'what if's' that he could now no longer be sure what the original version was. All he knew was that he was going delusional with sleep deprivation. It left an awful taste in his mouth and he felt sick. Closing his eyes, he stepped deeper into the spray and ran shower gel over his body with reflexive movements until the scum circled the drain at his feet. He jerked himself awake, feeling his body sway as the relief of sleep tried to claim him.

"Fuck." He placed his palms flat against the cool marble and absorbed the chill of the punishing deluge into his bones. He was such a selfish asshole. He had no right to purse a woman he'd pushed away with his conceited, arrogant comments. Not to mention his fucked up life. Kazuya. Heihachi. The devil gene. The Mishima Zaibatsu. G Corporation. He was a selfish prick if he thought dragging her into all of it was a good idea. Nina was right. Such a sweet and precious woman like Xiao wasn't destined for such a life.

The bedroom was lightening with the breaking dawn when Jin emerged from the shower. He couldn't be bothered shaving. That required too much energy and concentration. Instead he took a pair of black lounge pants from the drawer and closed the black-out curtains, plunging the room into darkness. Within seconds of his head hitting the pillow he fell into the comforting embrace of sleep.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

For a brief moment after Xiaoyu woke, she was struck with confusion. Her surroundings were unfamiliar. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten where she was. She tried to recall what she'd been doing before she lost consciousness…

"How are you feeling, child?"

She bolted upright at the sound of a deep, masculine voice. Her gaze darted around the darkened room, settling on the figure lounging in a wingback chair in the corner. It was _him_. The man with what she imagined was once a handsome face, what could have been a glimpse into the fine aging wine Jin could become. Instead she knew that with the single piercing red eye came a face and body marred with the scars of many battles. Blinking into full awareness, Xiaoyu focused on him. He sat with unnatural stillness, as if he were actually a photograph or painting. Although that was unnerving, it afforded her the opportunity to study him in his almost vampire-style attire.

She broke into crazed laughter that bubbled up from the stew of emotions inside her, alarming Kazuya. He took a tentative step towards her and she thrust her hand up to hold him off.

"Why am I here?" She finally asked, wiping the warm tears from her face. "Where's Miharu?"

"Safe."

Kazuya Mishima would have been as gorgeous in his youth, much like his son. It was easy to see how Jun Kazama fell for his black hair and caramel hued skin. His single good eye was the colour of toffee, making him stunning in a wholly exotic way. As the dancing candlelight caught his profile, she found herself staring at the deep waxy scars across his face and remembered exactly who he was.

"Why am I here?" She asked, glancing around at the silken bedsheets and realised she was in a bedroom. And still in her sleeping shorts and old tee. Knowing all she had on her skin were those two pieces of material on her body made her feel more vulnerable that she anticipated. A sliver of wariness cooled her blood. "…what are you going to do to me?"

Her brows arched when he laughed at her.

"Please don't let your imagination run off with you." Kazuya said calmly, taking a seat at the small table by the window, as if he had no concerns in the world. "You are far too young for my taste."

Xiaoyu panted, glancing around her surroundings. She was in an opulent bedroom, decorated in resplendent fabrics and priceless antiques. To Kazuya's left was a set of double doors that no doubt lead out onto a balcony. She could tell from the heavy lined curtains pulled closed that it was daylight by the small amount of light they let through.

"Where am I?" She asked, swallowing past a painfully dry throat. Her heart was racing in her chest, her breathing too quick and shallow. She was unrestrained, but that didn't make her feel any less trapped.

"I told you," He said easily, pouring a glass of water from the glass carafe on the table and brought it to her, "you're safe."

"You abducted me!" Xiaoyu accused, staring suspiciously at the water until he took a sip of it himself. "From my home! Where I already was—and pardon this word— _safe_."

His mouth curved in a slow, devastating smile.

She swallowed. She'd never seen Kazuya smile. It stunned her how much of his son she could see in him. A thought she would never verbalise, to either of them, she realised.

"Why am I here?" She demanded, watching as he set down the neglected glass of water on the bedside table.

"Have you spoken to my son recently?" He sat on the edge of the bed as if they were familiar enough with each other to warrant such intimacy.

She forced an incredulous laugh. "You've kidnapped me from my home because you think I have information on Jin? Are you actually _serious_?"

He hit her. The crack of his palm connecting with the flesh of her cheek ricocheted around the room.

"Need I remind you who you are talking to?" He said calmly, watching as she whimpered in pain and clutched her cheek. "My son may accept backchat, but I do not. Now, I shall ask you again: have you spoken to him recently?"

Xiaoyu spat a mouthful of blood onto the hardwood and glowered at him. "No. I haven't."

Kazuya bared his teeth in the semblance of a smile. "Do not lie to me, child."

"Well I just can't win with you, can I?" She tossed her hands in the air. "Now I know where he gets it from."

He opened the crimson silk interior of his long tailed jacket and produced her mobile from his pocket. It seemed they'd removed her password as he scrolled to the top of her contact log and turned it to face her. It showed the last call she made was to Jin.

"He never picked up." She said after a moment's silence.

"He never picked up…for three minutes and six seconds?" Kazuya's voice was silky soft and dangerous. Suddenly, he tossed the phone onto the bed and grabbed her by the jaw, yanking her forward so their faces were inches away. "Where is he?"

"I don't know." She forced through bloodied, closed lips.

"Bullshit." He hissed, throwing her back onto the sheets. "Maybe I could draw more fruitful information from your little friend…"

"No!" Xiaoyu lunged forward as he shifted from the bed, grasping his forearm desperately. "Please Kazuya! Miharu has absolutely nothing to do with this!"

"Hphm." Kazuya frowned, looking down at his arm she gripped tightly.

"Please!" Tears stung at her eyes and without shame, she let them streak down her creamy cheeks. "Please, Kazuya. I didn't speak to him! I tried ringing him when I heard the break in. He didn't answer. I left him a voicemail, that's all."

His lips curved into a cruel smile. He lowered his arm and she released her grip on his jacket, blinking up at him through tearful eyes.

"You left him a voicemail depicting your pain and fear, yet he has not responded. We have had no demands or contact from him…" He paused, glancing down at her one last time before rounding on his heels. "Perhaps you are not as vital a piece in this game as I first surmised."

His words were like a punch in the gut to her.

Jin hadn't bothered? Her voicemail hadn't affected him at all? Did she truly mean nothing to him?

She drew her knees up into her chest and cried, tears streaked down her face and her chest jack-knifed with sobs. She didn't know how long she stayed like that but when she finally lifted her head, Kazuya had gone.

* * *

Three loud knocks on the bedroom door drew Jin out of his deep slumber. Groaning, he lifted his head from the mound of pillows and forced himself to look around the darkened room. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he turned his head to figure out where he was. The events of the last day resurfaced to the forefront of his mind and he sank back into the pillow so he could come round a little more. Then, as he remembered Xiaoyu's messages and he went for his phone on the bedside cabinet he groaned as he realised Nina took it.

Three more knocks were loud and persistent on his bedroom door. Ripping the cover off his body, he padded sleepily to the door and opened it. He winced, squinting as natural light bathed the room and stung his retinas. It took a few seconds until he could open them again and when he did, he had to blink a few times to be sure.

Two pretty blondes stood side by side, looking at him with easy, confident smiles. They wore cropped jeans and a vest tops that revealed heavy breasts, the furls of their nipples just visible beneath the material.

"Hey." The first one said, her Japanese fluency tinged with an American accent Californian, maybe? "You Jin?"

"Uh, yeah?" He answered whilst stifling a yawn, letting one hand roam through his dishevelled inky black hair. "Who are you?"

"I'm Gemma." She gave him a pearly white smile and gestured to her equally stunning friend. "This is Stephanie."

Their eyes fell down his body shamelessly. This guy wore only black sweats, displaying his luscious body. Rich olive skin stretched taunt over hard, lean muscle. His biceps were as beautifully defined as his pectorals; a fine line of dark hair bisected the ridged lacing of his abdomen.

"Okay. Great?" He blinked sleepily, resting his arm against the jamb of the door as he found their gaze wandering over his body.

"So…are you going to let us in?" Gemma asked with a girlish laugh.

Jin frowned, glancing back at the darkened depths of his room. When he arched his head to face the women, he found Gemma's fingers on his cheeks, urging his face down to her lips. As soon as she did that, Stephanie took a bold step to his side and licked from his clavicle, up along the thick vein in his neck and to his ear whilst her hand swept round the front of his pants to fondle his cock.

He couldn't deny it thickening and lengthening against the material of his slacks from her touch, but he took a single step back into his room and found them latched onto his skin like ticks.

"W-what are you doing?" He swallowed past the dry lump in his throat, his thick brows arched with confusion. "Who are you?"

He felt a twinge of pleasure as Stephanie's breath gushed in his ear. Her fingers squeezed the tip of his cock and he shuddered. "We're here to help you relax."

"Yeah, baby." Gemma agreed, pressing herself full-body against his erection.

"No thanks." He replied flatly, tearing Stephanie's hand away from his dick.

"But," Gemma frowned at her friend, "Nina said—"

" _Nina_!?" His voice whipped like lightening, startled the two women off him. "Nina sent you?"

"Well, um, yeah?" Stephanie said brazenly with new found confidence. "Don't fight us baby. We were told to take care of you—"

"I don't care what you were told. Get out." He interjected harshly, jabbing his finger towards the open door leading onto the corridor.

The blonde blinked down at the impressive erection tenting his pants. "But—"

"Get the fuck out. Now."

* * *

Nina was on the telephone when she heard his footsteps. She turned away from the beautiful scenery of the garden and looked back into the room just in time to see Jin thrust the door open and enter like a bat out of hell.

"I'll call you back." She said quickly, killing the call.

"Fucking _prostitutes_ , Nina?" He almost shouted hysterically. "You sent two hookers up to my room? What the fuck is that all about?"

Unsure of how to respond, she gave him a small shrug. "I thought it would be a nice wake up call."

"With prostitutes?" He repeated.

"Well I know you missed your chance for some American pussy what with being shot at, so I thought I'd bring them to you."

"How about you wake me up with breakfast and a bloody coffee?" He hissed. "And they better not be billed to the company expense account!"

Nina rolled her eyes. "Oh would you give it a rest, Jin? How stupid do you think I am?"

"Right now, I'd say very. I know what you're trying to do, and it isn't going to work."

"And what is that?" She asked, meeting his hazel eyes squarely. "Because I can tell you what you're doing for me right now, and that's pissing me off. If you want to go after Ling Xiaoyu, then go for it. I won't stop you. But when you're knelt over her mangled and bloodied corpse, trying to suppress the devil gene from overthrowing your emotional ass, don't come crying to me. Hell, I'll probably be on the other side, trying to take you down."

He flashed her a cold, white smile. "So that's where your loyalties lie?"

"My loyalties lie with whoever is funding my next pay check, Jin." She replied coolly. "And don't forget it. Call it whatever you want, but I thought getting someone underneath you might help you work that little girl out of your system. We need a leader. You need to get your head in the game. You've been out for half the day."

"Give me sex and I'd be out for the full day." He replied dryly.

Nina shook her head with an accompanied laugh. She reached into her back pocket and withdrew his phone out, holding it out in front of her. "Here. It may need charging though. I thought I'd turned it off but I hadn't."

"Okay." He felt his heart flutter as his fingers curled around the device that could put him in contact with Xiao.

"It's probably all those damn apps working in the background. That's why modern cells never have a long battery life. Give me an old Nokia any day."

Jin tapped the home button and the screen came to life. It showed he had under a quarter of a battery left. It was enough to contact her for now. Or to read her messages again. Not that he needed to, he had them memorised to heart.

"Jin." Nina said firmly, earning his attention. "We need to get back to HQ and decide what we're going to do about G Corp. We can't just forget that they put a hit on you out in the states. We need to retaliate."

"Sure…" He frowned as he glimpsed down and saw the symbol for a voice message at the top of the screen. "Someone's left me a message. Let me get this, will you?"

"Fine." She nodded, turning on her heels. "I'll instruct the chefs to prepare dinner now you're up. I'm starving."

For the next three minutes, he stood in silence and let the flood of adrenaline send his body into overdrive. When it fell silent and eventually cut off, he almost let it fall to the floor as he dropped his hand and stared up at the ceiling. The devil gene was calling him, coercing him with sweet promises of torture and death. Powerful pulsations threatened his composure. Another one nearly knocked him off his feet and he shot his hand out to the wall for stability.

 _We need to go get her._

 _We need to make him pay._

 _We'll shred his body. Rip him limb from limb_

"Jin?"

 _Let me go._

 _I can get us the retribution you so desperately seek._

"Jin!"

 _She may already be dead._

 _We may be too late._

 _Or not…I could save her._

"Jin! Jin, for fuck sakes, Jin!" Nina shouted, shaking him roughly by the shoulders as he stood in a trance, staring up at the ceiling with distant, dull eyes. She knew what it meant. She knew who was talking to him. "Jin? Snap out of it."

"He's…" Jin finally replied, his voice a barely audible whisper. "He's got her."

"Got what? Who has?" Nina grabbed his jaw and urged him down to look at her. His eyes were a deep hue of red, in between hazel and crimson. He was fighting the devil off. "Come on, Jin. Talk to me. Who's got her?"

"Kaz…uya…"

She swallowed sharply. "Kazuya has Ling Xiaoyu? How do you know that?"

To her relief, his neck softened and his head hung like the strings cut from a puppet. She knew the he'd fought off the devil, this time. He held out his phone for her. She listened to the voicemail in silence, turning the volume onto the lowest setting so it wouldn't upset him again. The last thing they needed was for the devil inside him to wreak havoc.

"This was over twelve hours ago." She said glanced at him as she carried himself off to the window with a defeat gait and slumped shoulders. "We haven't had any contact from Kazuya. No demands."

"Because he wants me!" Jin snapped, showing the first sign of life in a while. "I _am_ the demand. It'll be Xiaoyu's safety in exchange for my forfeit."

"We can't do that." Her voice was modulated, her face impassive. "Jin, you can't do that. He will kill you. I don't think he'll kill the girl…but you on the other hand…"

"All I want is Xiao safe." He uttered, staring out at the garden beyond. "But didn't you say Anna is with him? Would Anna hurt her?"

Nina swallowed. Yes, she would. There was no despicable act of cruelty she didn't believe her sister would be incapable of committing. Some people had a black soul and a darkened heart, and Anna Williams was one of those people.

"We need to leave for Tokyo, now." She heard herself say.

* * *

"Miharu!" Xiaoyu exclaimed tearfully as she watched Anna strike her friend across the face, sending her hurtling to the ground with a thud. "Stop it, Anna, leave her alone!"

The red head smirked, thrusting her mobile in his face. "Then call him."

The Chinese girl panted desperately, searching round Anna to see Miharu gather herself up off the floor. Anna had slapped her around a bit as a warm up before making demands to ring Jin and lure him to a secret location. She was torn. She didn't want her friend to get hurt, but she didn't want to be the reason for Jin's demise. It had been over twelve hours and he still hadn't contact with her. He either didn't have his phone on him, or he was blowing her off big time. G Corp were getting impatient. Now they wanted her to make first contact as a pleading hostage.

"Call him." Anna barked, thrusting the phone into her quivering hand. "If you don't call him, then I will, and if I have to do your job for you, your friend gets it."

The woman took purposeful steps towards Miharu and with a quick hand, gripped her neck in such a punishing vice her friends eyes widen with fear.

"OKAY, Anna." Xiaoyu screamed, pushing up onto her feet.

"Sit back down, little girl." Anna said, dropping Miharu to the ground.

"One thing," Xiaoyu reasoned, glancing at her friend panting and spluttering on the ground. "You have to let her go. She has absolutely nothing to do with this. She has no affiliation with Jin Kazama whatsoever."

The assassin turned away from her, glancing up at a discreetly hidden camera in the room. She lifted her arms in query before pressing her ear piece closer. "Fine." She uttered, turning back to Xiaoyu and Miharu begrudgingly. "The girl is free to go. Kazuya, I still think this is a bad. The more leverage, the better…fine."

It happened so quickly, Xiaoyu didn't have chance to catch her breath. Two guards entered the room and hoisted Miharu up from under her arms, dragging her out of the room in a matter of seconds.

"What are you doing to her?" Xiaoyu charged forward.

"Letting her go, as you requested." Anna snarled, shoving her backwards with a jab to the chest. "Now ring him!"

"Letting her go where?" She scrambled up to her feet, keeping herself light on the balls of her heels as Anna drew closer. Glancing in the corner of the room, she addressed the camera. "Kazuya, you better not hurt her!"

Anna laughed mirthlessly, grasping her wrist and urging her phone up to her face. "I said ring-him- _now_."

"Why?" Xiaoyu demanded angrily, throwing her hands up in the air for Kazuya to see. That's if he was still watching. "Jin hasn't called. He hasn't made a move to come see me. He obviously doesn't give a shit about me. I wish I had your optimism that he's into me, because from what I can tell, he really _isn't_."

"Just ring."

"Fine." She replied flatly. "But if he doesn't answer, then don't kill me. I've already told you, he's not that into me."

With trembling hands, she opened the home menu on her phone and selected the app for contacts. She felt sick as she dialled his number and pressed the handset to her ear.

* * *

Nina and Jin took the bullet train down to Tokyo. It would take them a little over three hours to complete the journey. It was quicker than any other available mode of transportation. It would take too long to recall the pilot for the jet and no vehicle was ever going to compete with the train. They sat the far back in a secluded section of benches.

"This feels ridiculous." Nina groused, glancing at her aviators through the reflection of the window. "We are actually riding public transport to breach G Corp HQ."

"I agree." Jin let his hand smooth over the gel in his ducktail hair style, glancing at some passengers would seemed to have special interest in him. "But what other choice did we have?"

"Aside from letting you turn into the devil and raze the city in anger? Not many." Nina let out an impatient sigh, spotting a member of the public trying to take a discreet picture of them on the bench opposite. She rose from her spot, chasing him off immediately.

Jin flinched as his mobile lit up with an incoming call from Ling Xiaoyu.

"Nina," He said carefully, trying not to let his voice betray him. "Look."

"Shit." She cursed as she saw the screen. "It has to be a ploy."

"Do I answer it?"

"Not if they're only going to give you demands to turn yourself in. What if the only way is to make it seem like you don't give a shit? They don't know how you truly feel about the girl. " She tapped her bottom lip thoughtfully before snatching it out of his hand. She pressed her finger to her lip, indicating for him to stay silent. Then, she slid the green button across the screen to accept the call.

"J-Jin?" Xiaoyu's small voice came on the other end of the line.

He bristled, wanting to open his mouth and speak until he caught the fulminating glare of Nina. He sat back against the bench and let his fingers play restlessly in his lap.

The blonde cleared her throat before speaking, altering her voice to the character of sensual, breathless diva. "Hi, who's this?"

"J-Jin?" He closed his eyes as he heard the hurt in her tone. "Where is he?"

"Oh, is that his name?" Nina added a little sound as though she were chewing gum. "Wait—are you his girlfriend? Shit, babe. I swear he never mentioned anything about a girl back home. We just got so wasted and came back to this hotel...I'm so sorry."

"Have you—" Xiaoyu's tone grew shrill. "Have you slept with him?"

"Sorry." Nina cooed unapologetically down the phone. "Gotta go. He's coming out of the shower."

She disconnected the call and shoved the handset back in his hand.

"She sounded really hurt." He whispered guiltily. "Nina, why did you do that?"

"If G Corp have her because they think she's precious to you, then this confirms otherwise, doesn't it?" She placed a hand gently on his the solid muscle of his thigh. "Maybe they'll let her go. Maybe they'll reassess what to do with her. Either way, it'll bide us a little more time until we get there."

He swallowed. "I hope you know what you're doing."

* * *

Anna stood above the teenager on the bed, watching as she sobbed hysterically into her body, her knees drawn up to her face. The call wasn't long enough to trace a location. She turned back to the camera and offered it a mute shrug.

Well, fuck. What did they do now?

"He's…he's slept with someone else." Xiaoyu's chest jacked with vicious hiccups. "I-I hate this. I-I don't want to feel like this. I-I knew he was ignoring me."

Her eyes were blurry with tears and she rubbed the mucus from her nose onto her forearms to stop it trickling down her lips. Another howl of misery escaped her body and she coughed, throwing her head forward into the crook of her knees.

"I-I want out. I don't want anything else to do with this!"

Anna gestured to the camera she was leaving and quietly slid out of the room. Consoling kids was not on her list of skills. Besides, they wanted to put a bullet in the head of the man she was heartbroken over. With good counselling skills and powerful persuasion, they could recruit her into G Corp and convince her to turn on him. No doubt she had some good insider knowledge on Jin Kazama.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Anna closed the door to the bedroom and let out her breath in a rush. She could still hear the wretched girl howling even on the outside. Hopefully one day the child would see that love simply wasn't worth the heartache; especially for a man like Jin Kazama.

She began to pace, her heeled shoes rapping out a quick staccato on the hardwood floor. After a few minutes of moving back and forth, the tearful cries faded and Anna made her way up to the next floor to find Kazuya.

Idiotic child.

The sprawling Japanese-mansion was built over four floors and surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds of acres of land. She paid little notice to the enormous sakura trees and little delicate blossoms by the window as she looked at the sprawling urban metropolis of Tokyo twinkling in the distance. It was true they were miles away for the capital, but its luminous existence was hard to escape, even in the countryside.

Arriving at Kazuya's office, she thought about knocking before swinging the open the door without preamble.

Her step faltered.

She let her eyes widen for a second before regaining composure at the sight of Kazuya pining one of the chamberlains to the polished lacquer desk. His clothing was pristine as usual except for the purple slacks which rested loosely on his hips. The maids dress had been pushed up to waist revealing blooms of red on her creamy skin where his fingers had dug cruelly into her hips. Her moans were stifled by the position of her neck; one hand was fisted round her black hair, pulling her back towards him whilst the punishing tempo of his hips forced her into the desk.

"He'll come." Kazuya grunted.

Anna's brow arched, amused. "Just like you?"

"Mhm." He continued, his eyes never leaving the woman's back. "Keep the girl. She doesn't leave. Now get out."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and closed the door behind her just in time to hear the sound of his palm slapping the rounded flesh of the woman's ass. A smile lifted her lip as she felt the flesh between her legs slicken. She needed to get laid. That had to be the only explanation if Kazuya Mishima could turn her on.

* * *

"You guys sure don't rest, do ya?"

Paul Phoenix grumbled, voicing the thoughts of both Hwoarang and Yoshimitsu as they sat across from Nina and Jin.

At such late notice they were some of the only fighters from the tournament left in the country who had made themselves available, at a price of course. They'd all gathered in the penthouse at one of the five-star hotels situated on the outskirts of Tokyo, sat around a large ovular table in the living room with bottles of liquor at the centre. They sat in silence and listened as Nina got them up to speed.

"And you let her be captured?" Hwoarang exclaimed, banging his fists down on the table in a violent outburst. His almond-shaped eyes narrowed on Jin, burning with unresolved anger and a renewed sense of hatred.

"I was out of the country." Jin qualified calmly.

"Bullshit!" The auburn haired man rose, sending a quake of uneasiness throughout the table. He jabbed his finger in the air. "You're a fucking liability to anyone who associates themselves with you!"

"Hey, hey." Paul interjected, gesturing for the Korean to take his seat. "Calm down."

"It's true!" The man huffed, reluctantly taking his seat again.

The room quietened.

Then Hwoarang spoke again, "So…are you dating her?"

Jin shook his head mutely. He wasn't about to tell this jackass the complexities of his last encounter with Xiaoyu. The honest answer to his question was 'no'…although he did want to finish it off as 'no, not yet'.

"Good." Hwoarang nodded happily. "She's deserves someone much better than you. Your level is some street junkie who needs your cash flow to continue her fix so she can look at your ugly mug on top of her every night—"

"Better watch your mouth." Jin bit out, unable to resist the baited retort.

Nina cleared her throat. "Dicks away, boys."

Hwoarang rose from his chair again, sneering at the man across from him. "The only reason I came is to get my friend back. I'm not here for the money."

"But the money helps?" Paul offered jokingly.

The Korean looked down at Paul, then laughed with a smile before taking his place. "Yeah, the money definitely helps."

Yoshimitsu helped himself to the jewelled decanter of scotch in the centre of the table and poured a generous measure, his gaze shifting to Nina as she began.

"We have men scoping out the last known location Kazuya was seen at." She glanced back to one of the security men plastered to the back wall before turning back to the group, signalling for the bottle when Yoshimitsu was done with it. Lord knows, she needed a strong drink with this combination of fighters. "He and Anna were last seen headed to Shinrin mansion. We suspect that is where Ling Xiaoyu and her friend, Miharu were taken. From examination of their joint apartment, we surmised that it was a forced entry and both struggled against their captors."

Jin bit his lower lip, trying to block out the recording of Xiaoyu's voice playing in his head.

' _God, t-they're here. Jin, I'm scared.'_

"What are we waiting for?" Paul grinned, knocking back his tumbler of scotch before wiping his silvery blonde beard. "Let's go kick some ass!"

"We're here to rescue Ling Xiaoyu, only." Nina warned.

"Bollocks that. I'm here for a shot at his daddy's ugly mug." Paul etched a thumb towards Jin. "And you can't tell me if you see Anna you won't want to kick the shit out of her."

She hummed an assent.

Paul grinned. "See? We're here, so we might as well have a little fun."

"My plan is to get Xiaoyu out of there." Hwoarang pursed his lips, glaring at Jin as their eyes met. "And far, _far_ away from here."

Jin bit his lip again, opting to look at the space above the auburn man's head rather than his face. The bastard had found a weak spot and was determined to keep pressing him for a reaction. He knew Hwoarang and Xiaoyu were friends, but he always respected her enough to give their relationship a wide berth. Her friends were of no consequence to him…that was until the ginger prick started pushing his buttons.

"Hwoarang, enough. Or I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Nina rose from her seat. "Now is not the time for this. The tournament is over."

"So?" He snapped, sitting back with his arms folded. "You think I stop hating this douche the moment Iron Fist closes?"

"We're here for Ling Xiaoyu, not Kazama." Paul reminded, rising to his feet. "Think of helping your friend."

Hwoarang nodded gravely, glancing at Jin as he wandered over to the window with Nina. "I am. Believe me, I am."

* * *

Xiaoyu drew back the curtains with a despondent sigh. It was a beautiful, bright and sunny day. The magnificent gardens did little to improve her mood. Anna had locked the door, turning her attention to the balcony instead. She was up on the third floor with a smooth, mottled stone flooring below. In the last half an hour, she'd debated tying the bedding round the railings and leaping to safety…until she saw two armed security guards circumventing the mansion.

God, she hoped Miharu had made it out safe. Not that she could trust the word of Kazuya Mishima or Anna Williams.

After a few breaths of fresh air, she returned back to the bedroom and fell onto the bed. Fisting the silk coverlet in both hands she let another wave of tears coursed down her cheeks. It was a vicious cycle of tears, anger and blame.

If only she had slept with him in the hotel room, perhaps then he wouldn't have turned to another. It was no secret fighters abstained from sex from the build-up to the tournament and throughout. She knew from conversations with her friends, that most sought alcohol, good food and sex after the tournament had finished. Why should Jin be no different? He was a man after all, and an incredibly attractive man at that. She should not have left the bed when he closed the door to Nina…she shouldn't have gotten angry…

No. It wasn't her fault.

But gosh, she'd hoped he was different than the rest of them. Under the brusque exterior, she knew he was a sweet man. She'd seen what he was like at Mishima Polytechnic. It was that kind and gentle nature that made him such an endearing and fascinating man. How was it he could have changed so much?

"You're better than this, Xiao." She muttered under her breath, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Better than this."

After a few moments on her back staring up at the ceiling, Xiaoyu sat up and stared down at the thin t-shirt and shorts barely covering her body. She needed to wait for someone to come and unlock the door, only then would she be liberated from her prison. Looking at the clock on the bedside table she saw that it had been over five hours since Anna had forced her to ring Jin. Hopefully Miharu had been able to escape—but then what? Would she have informed the police? Would she have contacted some of their Iron Fist friends?

* * *

A van pulled up down the narrow country lane one mile away from the mansion. Inside, a team of six armed men sat on benches across from Jin, Nina, Hwoarang, Paul and Yoshimitsu. They checked over their equipment, occasionally glimpsing at the lights visible in the distance.

"Ready?" Nina muttered, nodding to the front passenger in the rear view mirror.

He left the van and opened the sliding door, exposing them to the cool late morning air. The Mishima Zaibatsu team rose from the benches, keeping their guns close as they stepped down onto the dirt path.

"Remember," Nina said, bringing her ear up to the microphone placed discreetly in her ear. The gang automatically lifted their hands to the same place to the ones in their ears. "if you find Xiaoyu, let the team know. Do not engage in unnecessary conflict."

"Always." Paul grinned, beating the front of his bullet-proof jacket with his fist.

She flashed him a look. "Behave."

"I always do."

Glancing out at the men doing their last minute checks, she signalled for the rest of the group to exit the van.

"Not you." She said as Jin rose, stretching her arm out across the door. "Stay here."

"You're kidding?" Jin arched one dark-winged brow, his gaze darkening he found Hwoarang smirking up at him from the ground behind Nina's back.

"No." She said gently. "They will be expecting this attack. I'm not prepared to let you walk into their hands. It's too risky. They may try to hold Xiaoyu as leverage against you and I'm not prepared to let that happen—not with how emotional you've been recently."

"I am not getting emotional, for fuck sakes." He hissed, glancing sideward at the gang waiting by the side of the van. Thankfully, they'd moved round the front of the vehicle and out of earshot.

"Oh yes you have, you've been moping like some lovesick teenager." Nina snapped, placing a hand on his shoulder and urging him to sit back. "Trust me. Wait here. We'll radio in to you the moment we find her."

"I did _not_ come out here just to sit in the van." He growled with frustration. "I'm goddamn CEO for fucks sakes—"

"Then start acting like it." She snapped angrily.

Jin sighed. "I can help, Nina, you know I can."

"And when you're circling the roof in devil form, blasting a hole through the damn place because we haven't found her, you won't be helping then." She took a step off the van and began sliding the door to a close. "Please stay here. We'll let you know what we're doing every step of the way."

Jin threw his hands up with exasperation as she closed the van. "You've got to be kidding me."

* * *

Anna traversed the carpeted corridor on the ground floor and pushed open a set of double doors what led her into a small control room. Inside, the room was crowded with television screens lit up with CCTV footage of the mansion and gardens from a multitude of angles.

"What have we got, boys?" She asked, leaning over the pair with her hands on the back of their chairs.

They directed her attention to one of the split monitors at the far left side. She squinted just in time to see a group of bodies sneak through a thicket of wild grass at the far end, less known part of the garden.

"Ah…" Her lips curved into a smile. "It's about time."

"What shall we do?" One of the men asked, zooming in on Mishima Zaibtsu men.

Anna smiled, slapping his back heartily. "Why, greet like the hospitable guests we are, of course."

* * *

Xiaoyu stood out on the balcony, lifted up as high as tiptoes would let her as the second pair of guards passed underneath the window, their hands placed guardedly over their firearms. There was a two pairs that appeared every fifteen minutes, meaning it took one pair thirty minutes to inspect the mansion. That enabled her fifteen minutes to escape before the next pair came round. . .

The sudden crack of gunfire tore through the silence, stunning her momentarily. She watched as the guards looked equally perplexed before receiving instructions in their earpieces. They took off ahead, leaving her alone.

Xiaoyu tore back into the bedroom and hauled the mattress clumsily off the bed, knocking over one of the lamps in the process. She didn't care. She was getting out of there. Dragging it across the room and throwing open the balcony doors as wide as they would go, she manoeuvred the mattress into the open space and tossed it onto the stone paving below. Rushing back into the room, she grasped the duvet and pillows and threw them over the balustrades too.

Fuck, was this going to work?

Her breathing was erratic as she wrenched open the doors to the wardrobe and searched through its contents for something that would cover her body better than her sleeping shorts and vest would. There was nothing. She didn't focus on it long, too worried that someone would come up to the room for her.

Outside, gunfire continued in the distance and its continual fire was all the incentive she needed to climb over the side. The gentle breeze lifted her hair from her face and she glanced both ways down to the path to check it was still clear. When it appeared no one was coming, she let her chest rise with a large inhalation before jumping off the edge. The air rushed past her for a couple of brief seconds before the hard impact forced all breath from her lungs. The mattress and bedding had softened the blow, but it insufficient for a third floor jump for it to be completely absent of sensation.

Xiaoyu panted, holding her ribs instinctively as she sat up on the mattress. It would have been exhilarating if the repetitious emptying of a pistol cracked through the air hadn't sounded so close. She scrambled up onto her feet and leapt over the neatly trimmed hedge framing the path and into the garden.

* * *

Two dark clad men preceded into the room before Nina, gesturing it was clear before she entered. She surveyed the empty room in disappointment before turning back on her heel.

"Empty." She muttered into the thin microphone protruding from her ear to her mouth. "Perhaps Kazuya and Anna have left and taken the girls."

" _No sign either."_ Another voice added from somewhere in the mansion. _"Only G Corp scum."_

Nina growled, vexed, as she returned back to the main corridor. There was no way her sister had disappeared without the chance to exchange a couple of blows. She was pathetic and predictable like that.

Rounding the corner to a new segment of the corridor, Nina was tackled from the side. A fist pushed up against her flank. Snarling, she rolled away from the assailant and quickly checked the site of contact for sign of blood. It was common knowledge that an initial stab wound felt like a punch. A quick pat on her side showed there was no blood there.

"I wouldn't kill you that easily." Her sister confirmed mockingly above her.

Nina sneered, kicking out as she flipped gracefully back onto her feet. She glowered at the brunette woman. "It hasn't even been a week since the tournament finished. Couldn't the peace have lasted a little longer?"

"I didn't order this." Anna threw her hands up in the air.

"Where is the girl?" Nina curled her hands up into fists by her face.

A cruel smirk filled twisted Anna's lips. "I'll never tell you that. You'll have to beat it out of me."

"Gladly."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

The cacophony of gunfire grew more and more distant the further Xiaoyu ran. The only discord to be heard now was her ragged breath and the rhythmic pounding of her heart pumping blood round her body. The taste of blood filled her mouth but she pressed on, determined not to be caught. Low hanging branches were like knives on her soft skin as she tore through the lesser maintained area of the garden; it must have been farthest away to not require as care and attention. It was a positive sign. It meant she had to be near the end. Soon her ribs ached and she was forced to slow down, surveying her surroundings with a more critical and wary eye. She sunk low behind a rose bush, wiping the rivulets of perspiration from her forehead and temples. Her mouth and tongue were in desperate need of water but there was no relief at hand.

The sun was high in the sky and she surmised it was early afternoon. A multitude of questions came into mind as she caught her breath. Who had come all guns blazing? Had anyone noticed she was missing? Were they coming for her? Was it possible it was Jin? Had Jin come to rescue her?

No. He was too busy with other women to care about her dilemma—and it was all because of him! The selfish fuck.

Xioayu shook her head. She was determined not to let that man monopolise all of her thoughts. There were more important issues to address—like Kazuya had fucking kidnapped her! Where the hell was safe around here? And where was _here_ , exactly?

Once her breathing regulated, she listened closely for any nearby sounds. Kazuya had come for her because he suspected they were in contact. Jin had warned her of this: the harsh realities that came with being associated with him. Tears stung her eyes as she shook her head miserably. What the fuck was wrong her with? Why did she care so much?

* * *

Nina and Anna stood, their chests erratic with heavy breathing and harsh pants leaving their mouths. Around them lay masonry, shattered glass and other debris from their fight that had taken them across several rooms. Gunfire still resided from other areas deep within the mansion.

"Where is the girl?" Nina asked again, a question that seemed like a lifetime ago. "You know she has nothing to do with this. Why do you murder the innocent?"

"Don't act so self-righteous." Anna sneered, spitting sputum flecked with blood on the floor. "We both fight for the same reason: money."

Nina acknowledged her with a tip of her head. "We do."

"And it is my pride that will never allow me to work for the same side as you." The brunette curled her fists once more. "To hell with the girl."

Nina's shoulders dropped despondently. She was tired of fighting. All she wanted to do was find Ling Xiaoyu. "Fine. I'll look without your help."

"You think I'm going to let you walk away?" Her sister goaded, sliding one of her heeled feet forward in a defensive stance.

"Do what the fuck you want." Nina scowled, turning on her heel. "Get in my way and I will end you."

"Try me, bitch."

* * *

Jin sat in the back of the van, listening to Nina exchanged witless retorts with her sister before taking the headset off and tossing it next to him. No one else had found Xiaoyu according to her radio. It was possible that Xiaoyu wasn't there and the damned Williams sister was serving a decoy whilst Kazuya moved out. They could be moving in on him at this very moment. . . He was restless with energy and needed to get out of the van. Yet he found himself oddly subservient to Nina's request. Perhaps she was right, he needed to get laid. Maybe only then he would get the 'little Chinese girls' face out of his head.

It was almost surreal, then, that he saw Ling Xiaoyu sneaking cautiously around the darkened windows of the van. She was dishevelled and in the thinnest and shortest of sleeping clothing. Her creamy skin was angry with red welts and small slits on her arms and face. His movement within the van must have alerted her, because he saw her flinch as he stood up, rocking the van, and went to quickly thrust the door open.

"Xiao!" He called after her as she'd already fled down the road. Gods, she ran fast. "Xiaoyu!"

Wisely, she did not turn around to see the owner of the voice. Cursing under his breath, he abandoned the van in pursuit of her. He didn't want to shout and scream her name all the way down the private road so instead put all his energy into sprinting. It didn't take long until he was within reach of her.

"Xiao!" He tried again, hoping his voice would carry better instead of grabbing her.

Xiaoyu's step faltered as she turned her head to look at him, her eyes widening in bewilderment as their gaze met. "J-Jin?"

At last she slowed down, her eyes darting cautiously around him as she panted heavily.

"You run fast." He joked lightly, turning around to look at the van behind them in the distance. "I tried to shout you from…" His voice petered off as the sound of tyres crunching on gravel could be heard on the road behind them. He grabbed her arm and pulled her urgently into the shrubbery. "Quick!"

They both sunk to their stomachs on the grass, using the bushes for cover as the vehicle slowed down along the path. The owners were probably checking the van. Xiaoyu and Jin looked at each other, their gaze never wavering as the vehicle started up again and crawled along the road past their hiding place. When it was gone, Xiaoyu made to move but Jin placed a hand over hers and shook his head.

"Wait." He said, his voice a barely audible whisper.

It felt like forever as they waited in the grass on their stomachs until Xiaoyu spoke again. This time, Jin didn't object.

"What are you doing here?" Though quiet, her voice was clipped with anger. "I thought you were with some bimbo?"

"That was Nina." He answered, seeing her brows shoot up. He quickly clarified. "She thought you were being forced to make the call so she gave that reply. We were on way to Tokyo at the time. I haven't been with some bimbo. I didn't even know she was going to say that. _Believe_ me."

Xiaoyu bit her lip, waiting a heartbeat before whispering back. "That really hurt."

"I know. I'm sorry." He took her hand once more. "I am sorry, Xiaoyu."

Her breath hitched in her throat. She gave his hot fingers a gentle squeeze in response.

After a few more minutes, Jin rose warily to his feet and crossed soundlessly to the road edge and peered down the track.

"Is it safe?"

"It's hard to tell." He answered honestly. "The road appears to be clear."

"Don't leave me." Xiaoyu blurted out, instinctively reaching for him as he took a step closer to the road. "Please don't leave me again. _Please_."

Jin turned her, surprised by her proclamation. "Of course I won't."

Tears stung her eyes and she lowered her head in hopes he wouldn't see, but it was too late.

"Hey." He sunk down onto one knee, urging her to look at him. It pained him when she wouldn't. "Shit. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

A small sniffle escaped her lips and she brushed away the falling tears on her cheek. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Xiao—"

Looking into his eyes, she gave him a tearful smile that didn't meet her eyes. "They came for me at four in the morning, because of you. I was so scared. Kazuya thought I would be able to give him information on you."

Jin's face fell. So even if he pushed her away, they'd come for her regardless.

"I didn't know." He said softly. "I was coming back from Los Angeles when you left that voicemail. I went straight to sleep so I didn't listen to it until later. I'm sorry we took so long."

She lifted one brow wryly. "What are you talking about? No one helped me escape—I jumped out of the third floor window."

"You did what?"

"I threw the mattress and bedding out first, of course." She shrugged coolly.

"Mattress!?" Jin's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Where were you? What has that son-of-a-bitch done to you?"

Her lips parted at his possessiveness. Where did that come from?

"Xiao." He said, his voice as tense as the muscles rippling in his jaw. "Please tell me nothing happened—"

"Jin, nothing happened." She replied decisively.

"I'm relieved to hear that."

Jin pulled Xiaoyu up onto her feet, his hand lingering around her slim waist longer than necessary. Their eyes met and he could see the betrayal and hurt looking back at him.

"I honestly haven't been with anyone." He whispered, looking down at her dry lips for a moment. "I came here for you."

Xiaoyu breathed out a heavy sigh of relief and her lips widened into a smile. "Jin. . ."

The snapping of a twig nearby alerted them they were not alone. His hand tightened around her waist, causing her to flinch. Quickly, he released his grip and instead took her hand, guiding her urgently to follow him down the road where it would take them back to urbanisation.

* * *

"No sign of Kazama."

"No sign of the girl, either."

Kazuya listened to his men relay the report in silence. It had been two hours since he'd left the Shinjin Mansion and come to one of the top clubs in Shinjuku. The soundproofing blotted out nearly all of the sounds and vibrations from the nightlife below, but now in near silence, he could faintly hear the start of another track earning a crescendo of cheers from the crowd. He crossed and uncrossed his legs. It wasn't the buttery dark leather that made him restless; he was pissed off. He was so sure a mission to seize Jin Kazama so soon after the tournament would be a success. Tapping out an impatient staccato with his fingers on the polished wooden table, he listened.

"The girl escaped. She wasn't released." One of his armed men informed him of this new information through his earpiece. "She threw the mattress down and must have jumped from the window."

Kazuya debated this for a second with a smirk, his hand poised around the tumbler of whisky next to him. "Leave her. She was of no use to me anyway."

". . .and Anna was unable to detain Nina."

He snorted audibly, tossing back the whisky. "Of course she was. The Williams sisters are as bad as each other. They love a good fight but will never fatally wound. It wouldn't surprise me if they joined alliance one day, despite their claims."

The two men exchanged mute glances. Their boss had a very warped perception of familial ties. Most would find it acceptable that two siblings didn't want to kill each other. To Kazuya Mishima, blood relation was of no consequence—his effort to capture his only child, Jin Kazama was testament to that.

" _The house is clear_."

"It looks like they've all left, sir."

"Dispatch a clean-up crew to Shinjin." Kazuya leaned over the table for the bottle of whisky, pouring another generous measure. "The men can stand down. This mission has been a failure. Jin won't resurface anytime soon."

* * *

Xiaoyu replaced the phone on its cradle and opened the door to the phone box with a happy, yet exhausted aura. Her dishevelled and torn pyjamas earned a few disapproving looks from the steady stream of pedestrians but she continued with her head held high, her face obscured by a white facemask purchased from a few shops down the road.

Jin rested against the wall of an electronic store, casting fugitive glances up and down the street for conspicuous characters. Thankfully he had his wallet with a decent amount of cash and his mobile phone with electronic payment on it if they needed it. The first thing he'd done was buy two masks and drinks, but now he needed to think of a hotel they could stop in for respite whilst things died down. . .and a change of clothes for Xiaoyu.

"Miharu is fine. Shaken, but fine." She offered him a thumbs-up as she approached. "They let her go like I asked."

"Good."

"I told her I couldn't return straight away. . ."

"It is too dangerous." Jin reiterated patiently. "That's why I asked you to call her from a public phone."

"Do you think they'll really be tracking me?"

"Is it worth the risk?" He asked, leading her through the crowd of tourists and workers. "Are you desperate to be back in that room?"

"Of course not, but I would like a shower and a fresh change of clothes." She admonished. "Can't you ring one of your contacts?"

Jin weaved through the thickening crowd easily and felt Xiao's fist on his jacket for guidance. Normally he would have rung one of his men to pick him up ages ago but he was concerned for Xiaoyu. If G Corp were tracking his mobile then putting out a call would mean they could triangulate his location in a matter of seconds. Sure, he could fight his way out of it but he didn't want to risk her wellbeing. The devil inside him wouldn't discriminate, he was sure.

"Jin?" Xiao pressed. "Can't you ring one of your men?"

"I could, but it's too risky."

"Why?" He could tell by her frown she wasn't happy with this.

"I'm going to book a hotel room so we can rest whilst I think." He answered, steering her through the crowd of bodies. "I think it's about time we had some alone time too to talk, don't you agree?"

Xiaoyu kept her head low and offered a small nod. The idea of talking one-on-one with him again made her nervous. It was exactly what she'd wanted, and yet the idea of an emotive conversation so soon after being kidnapped filled her with dread. Did she want to be with Jin if she would be used as a weapon against him?

"Xiao?"

"Hm?" She lifted her gaze up to see him watching, waiting for an answer to a question she hadn't heard.

"I said where do you want to buy some clothes from?"

"Oh. Erm…" Looking round she gestured to a chain store further down the street. "There. That'll do."

It was almost five in the evening when Jin slid the cardkey down the hotel room door to unlock it. He gestured for Xiaoyu to enter first before following her with bags on each of his arms. It was a four star hotel and the room was decent enough and although nowhere near the luxury he was used to, it impressed Xiaoyu. Then again, he was under the impression it didn't take much.

Excitedly, she took the bags from him and began to dump the contents onto one of the double beds. As she shifted through the fabric to find her new bra and underwear, Jin turned away to admire the view.

"It's only underwear." She laughed, pulling the tags off both. "You don't have to be so shy."

"I'm not shy. It's called being respectful." He clarified loudly.

"Whatever. Prude." The sight of his tense frame made her laugh aloud. After pulling the tag off her new blue summer dress, she gathered the clothing up and wandered across to the bathroom. "Do you mind if I go for a shower?"

"Not at all."

Once the water was running and he heard the splashes of Xiaoyu under the water, Jin sat down on the edge of the bed without clothing on and fished out his phone from his jacket pocket. He saw that Nina had tried him a few times and left some messages along with another unknown number. Reluctantly dialling voicemail, he pressed the phone to his ear and listened to Nina Williams voice ask him where he was. The next message was a little more urgent, left by one of his men. He knew he had to call them back to reassure them, but he was thankful for the alone time with Xiaoyu. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet. Still, he pressed the number for Nina and held it back to his ear.

"Jin!"

"Nina. I am safe. I vacated the van in pursuit of Ling Xiaoyu before a G Corporation vehicle approached. Xiaoyu is safe."

"Xiaoyu escaped?"

"Yes." He held the phone away from his ear to check the shower was still running. It was. "Listen, I want to clear the air with her so I'm not rushing back."

She made a disapproving noise. "Can you at least tell me where you are?"

"Sure." He listed the hotel from the headed notepad on the bedside table. "I'll be in touch with the team to let them know when we're ready."

"Remember," Nina warned, "Screw her out of your system and then leave."

Jin killed the call, too angry to think of a recent reply. Xiaoyu was in danger no matter what he did. She was associated with him. Was it better if she was under his watch and protection? Would that prevent her being kidnapped again? He was confused. Their conversation in the tournament hotel had shifted the balance and changed their dynamic. It was hard to dismiss his feelings when she'd already told him how she felt.

The sound of running water stopped and he waited patiently until she'd finished drying her hair and other things that females did in there that took so long. When the door opened he found himself looking at a revitalised Ling Xiaoyu in a simple blue summer dress with wedge heeled shoes. Her hair was down and resting on her shoulders, her face softened and relaxed from the shower.

"I feel human again." She let out a contented sigh, stretching her arms out over her head. It was true. The shower and being alone with her thoughts had helped. She felt more in control now she wasn't dirty and in her tattered pyjama shorts and vest. "Thank you for buying me these clothes."

"Not at all." Jin watched her trail over to the remaining bed and threw away the rubbish from the tags and receipts. "It's the least I could do, seeing how you were captured because of me."

"Yes. . ." Her tone changed. It had gone from happy to tired very quickly. Giving the bedding a terse brush, she sat down opposite Jin and studied him for a few long seconds. "Would it always be like that?"

"Being captured?"

"Being a pawn in this battle you have with your father." Xiao clarified slowly. "Because if it is, I don't think I can be with you—even if I wanted to be."

Jin's whole demeanour changed. She watched his shoulders rise, the muscles in his jaw tighten and his eyes narrow from carefree to guarded. "You hadn't considered that before?"

"Considering it, and being subjected to an actual kidnapping, are two very different things."

He ran his hand through his hair, destroying the perfect duckbill style his gel somehow managed to preserve. Clearing his throat, he tried to train all anger and disappointment out of his voice. "So, what are you saying?"

Xiaoyu watched her feet shift restlessly on the hotel carpet beneath her as she fisted the bedding tightly. "What I'm saying is—what I _think_ I'm saying is—that I take back what I said at the hotel before. I—I don't want to be with you."

"For gods sakes!" Jin pushed up off the bed abruptly, throwing his hands up in the air. "Make your fucking mind up!"

She tore her eyes away from the floor, horrified to see her words had elicited such a response from him. Jin was supposed to be calm and still as running water, he wasn't supposed to care or erupt like a giant geyser in Iceland.

"You can't say things like that on a whim!" He shouted down at her, his hands akimbo on his hips. "I've been torturing myself about how we left things at the tournament hotel. I've always been aware I had feelings for you, but never really realised them—not until you came into my room and told me you reciprocated! And now you're taking it all back? What the hell, Xiaoyu!"

The power exuding from him made her hyper aware of the devil inside him. Adrenaline caused her body to tremor and she felt her eyes glisten with unwanted tears. She scrubbed them away with her fists. "I'm. . .I'm sorry."

He took a deep breath at the sight of her crying and let it out in a slow, steady exhale. This wasn't the conversation he had in mind. She wasn't supposed to start it by closing him down, and he certainly didn't expect to make her cry. He felt like an asshole.

"Xiao," He began gently, sitting next to her on the bed, "do you mean what you say, or is it because you're frightened of what's happened?"

"O-of course I'm frightened." She trembled, wiping away more tears that fell. "I d-don't know what to do for the best."

Silence fell between them. Jin disappeared off to the bathroom and return with some toilet paper, offering it for her eyes. She took it gratefully.

"Thank you." She whispered, dabbing at her eyes.

"I'm sorry I shouted."

"That's okay."

"No. It isn't." He said regretfully. "I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"I didn't expect you to." Xiao admitted, her shoulders lifting with a small laugh. "You never get emotional—not like that anyway."

Jin shifted his hands from the bed to his lap and back anxiously. Now, he had to tell her how he felt. It was awful bearing his soul and exposing his vulnerability to another, but this was Xiaoyu. "What I originally intended to say to you," He began, feeling her eyes slide over his profile, "is that after considering your words _the other day_ , I would like to see more of you too."

A small smile broke through her wretched expression and she let the tissue paper fall from her eyes. "R-really?"

He swallowed, returning her small smile. "At last, I have you. Why would I give that up?"

Xiaoyu's face crumpled and for a picosecond he thought he'd said the wrong thing. Then, she tossed the crumpled paper from her hand and threw her arms around him, crushing her lips onto his. His hands traced up the back of her pale neck and into her loose hair, fisting it as he slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss.

Without a word, they took themselves onto the bed where they could lie comfortably on the pillows and sheet. She was pressed against the length of Jin's body; a frisson of excitement took her body as she felt every hot, hard inch of him. She let her hands roam the taunt muscles of his shoulders and planes of his arms, eating his mouth with an insatiable hunger. He smelt divine. He tasted delicious.

She needed to have him.

"Whoa," Jin exclaimed in her mouth, jerking as her hand fell firmly to his cock. "Xiao."

"I have to have you." She panted, pressing a kiss against his flushed cheek.

His dark winged brows shot up, and he studied her face calmly. "I thought you wanted to take it slow?"

"I never said that. I said I didn't want to be a meaningless fuck for you. There's a difference." She said, peppering his neck with kisses. Noting his stillness, Xiaoyu pushed herself up on one elbow to look down at him, licking the salt of his skin off her lips. ". . .but we don't have to?"

His lips curved in a devastatingly handsome smile.

"Fuck," She bit her lip, "I want you so badly, Jin Kazama."

"Then take me."

He blinked, surprised as he was pressed onto his back and the ivory legs of Xiaoyu swung around his lower legs, straddling him. Next, she took the collar of his shirt in her fingers and pulled the fabric with such force that the buttons scattered along with her inhibitions.

"Hell, Xiao—" He began, his line of sight following the gentle noise ricocheting around the room, when she descended upon him to claim his mouth.

Right then, he knew all the assumptions he'd made about her being inexperienced and innocent, were wrong.


End file.
